Unit information: Brain and Behaviour in 2015/16

Unit name	Brain and Behaviour
Unit code	PHPH30016
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Professor. Apps
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	PHPH20009: Neurophysiology, PHPH20010: Developmental Physiology of the Specialized Cell
Co-requisites	Concepts and Skills Research Project or Grant Proposal
School/department	School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience
Faculty	Faculty of Life Sciences

Description including Unit Aims

Students will study advanced topics in the neural basis of behaviour through a series of seminars. Examples of the topics covered include: the functional organisation of the cerebellum; the neural basis of cognition; the neural basis of social behaviour. The unit aims to develop an understanding of key concepts in behavioural neuroscience including:

• The range of techniques used to study the function of different brain structures involved in complex behaviour
• The role of the cerebellum in sensorimotor integration
• The role of interactions between limbic and cortical areas in learning, memory and decision making, and its dysfunction in psychiatric disorders.
• The role of neuromodulatory amines and neuropeptides in social behaviour

Intended Learning Outcomes

• An in-depth knowledge and critical understanding of selected aspects of behavioural neuroscience, with an ability to keep up-to-date with recent developments in the field.
• The ability to gather information from the primary scientific literature and to critically evaluate the material and appraise competing theories.
• An understanding of the way in which neural systems can be modified by experience.

Teaching Information

Seminars

Assessment Information

The unit will be assessed through one 3-hour summative examination in May/June, which consists of two sections. In section A (50%), students will be expected to answer one essay question from a choice of 3, which will assess their knowledge and critical understanding of the field, and their ability to gather information from the primary scientific literature. In section B (50%), students will be expected to answer one multi-part compulsory question requiring data handling/data interpretation and experimental design.

Reading and References

Reviews and key references from the current scientific literature