CAF for ZO 518 – page 1 of 7
Course Justification
In a society that aims to understand itself in the context of the “ nature vs nurture” or “biological vs
environmental” question, it is important to have a well-educated population that understands the basic
flaw in this question. This course addresses one aspect of this issue, by examining some of the many
ways in which the brain (biology) can be altered by experience (the environment). The principle focus of
behavioral neuroscience has traditionally been on the biological bases of behavior – that is, how changes
in the nervous system translate into changes in behavior. This seminar turns that around to consider how
behavior can alter biology. It explores examples in which an individual’s behavioral interactions with the
world alter the structure and/or function of the adult nervous system.
Student Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
(1) conduct literature searches using Pubmed;
(2) identify and summarize the key points of an article in both written and oral formats;
(3) have a working knowledge of some of the literature on neural plasticity in adulthood;
(4) read primary research articles in prominent neurobiological journals both efficiently and
critically;
(5) recognize and utilize effective techniques for leading discussions; and
(6) make an informed argument regarding the degree to which the adult nervous system is plastic vs
hard-wired.
Enrollment for Last Five Years.
Fall, 2002, 12 students (ZO 592O)
Fall 2006, 6 students (ZO 592B)
New Resources Statement. No new resources are needed for this course.
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ZO 518 – Experience and the Brain
Syllabus
NC State University
Department of Zoology
Instructor
Dr. Jane Lubischer, Department of Zoology
e-mail: jane_lubischer@ncsu.edu; office phone: 515-2587
office: 146 David Clark Labs
home page: http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jllubisc/
Office Hours
TBA and by appointment
Readings
All readings will be available online via the course website.
Course Web Site
http://courses.ncsu.edu/zo518/lec/001/
also available through WolfWare at http://courses.ncsu.edu/
General Course Description and Student Learning Outcomes
In a society that aims to understand itself in the context of the “ nature vs nurture” or “biological vs
environmental” question, it is important to have a well-educated population that understands the basic
flaw in this question. This course addresses one aspect of this issue, by examining some of the many
ways in which the brain (biology) can be altered by experience (the environment). The principle focus of
behavioral neuroscience has traditionally been on the biological bases of behavior – that is, how changes
in the nervous system translate into changes in behavior. This seminar turns that around to consider how
behavior can alter biology. It explores examples in which an organism’s behavioral interactions with the
world alter the structure and/or function of the adult nervous system. Topics will be selected by students
from a list prepared by the instructor. Each semester, students will select articles from the primary
research literature, with the approval of the instructor, for discussion by the class. By the end of this
course, students will be able to (1) conduct literature searches using Pubmed; (2) identify and summarize
the key points of an article in both written and oral formats; (3) have a working knowledge of some of the
literature on neural plasticity in adulthood; (4) read primary research articles in prominent neurobiological
journals both efficiently and critically; (5) recognize and utilize effective techniques for leading
discussions; and (6) make an informed argument regarding the degree to which the adult nervous system
is plastic vs hard-wired.
Grading
Grades will be on the ABCDF scale with +/- grades. The letter grade will be based on 8 reflection
papers, attendance and thoughtful participation in class discussions, selection and leading discussion of
papers for two classes, and a group project. Each component will contribute in the following manner to
the final grade:
Reflection papers – 30 %
Participation in class discussions – 30 %
Leading discussions – 10 %
Group project – 30 %
It is anticipated that letter grades for this course will be assigned according to the scale below, although
these grade cutoffs may be lowered at the discretion of the instructors. They will not be raised.
A+  96.7%
A  93.4% and < 96.7%
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AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
 90% and < 93.4%
 86.7% and < 90%
 83.4% and < 86.7%
 80% and < 83.4%
 76.7% and < 80%
 73.4% and < 76.7%
 70% and < 73.4%
 66.7% and < 70%
 63.4% and < 66.7%
 60% and < 63.4%
<60%
Overview of requirements
• Attend class.
• Be on time.
• Be a thoughtful participant in class discussions.
• Complete in-class assignments.
• Select articles (twice) for class to read and discuss.
• Lead class discussions on two occasions.
• Write 8 Reflection Papers during the semester (see schedule).
• Work with classmates to complete the Group Project.
Reflection Papers
• Length should be 3-5 pages, double-spaced.
• Always due at the start of class.
• Reflection Paper 1 is due Week 3; Reflection Paper 8 is due Week 15; the other Reflection Papers (27) are due Weeks 4-14. You will NOT write a Reflection Paper for the weeks you lead discussion
or for Week 7. You also will not write a Reflection Paper for two other weeks of your choosing.
• The purpose of the Reflection Papers is to force you to read the articles critically – to actually think
about them – and therefore to better prepare you for in-class assignments and class discussions.
• Content should reflect a critical reading of the articles, but is not rigidly defined.
• Some summary of the articles may be necessary, but do not feel that you have to always summarize all
articles. Above all else, do not limit yourself to summaries. Go beyond summarization to analysis
and critique.
• Some things you could include: relate/compare the article(s) to previous articles; point out flaws in the
research design and/or interpretation of results; raise questions of interest that arise from the
article(s); propose an experiment that would better test the hypothesis or would test a related
hypothesis; identify contradictions in two or more articles.
• Always check your spelling and grammar by proofreading (not just by “spell checking”).
Selecting Articles for Discussion
• Topics will be determined on the second day of class.
• Pubmed! We will discuss this valuable tool in class.
• The articles you select for one class should reflect a coherent theme.
• Typically, 3-4 articles per class will be appropriate, but consider selecting more if they are short
and/or somewhat redundant.
• Do not just select the first 3-4 articles you read through.
• Articles must be approved by the instructor in advance.
• Articles must be made available one week before they are to be discussed. If available as PDF files, I
will post them to the course website. Otherwise, you will need to distribute copies in class.
• Do not assign review articles, although they may be helpful to you in preparing to lead the discussion.
CAF for ZO 518 – page 4 of 7
Leading Discussion
• This is not meant to be a presentation.
• However, you may decide that it is necessary to provide some important background information as a
brief presentation and/or in handouts and/or by posting the material on the website before class.
The instructor can help you with this.
• Plan on reading more than just the articles you select for class.
• Think of ways to generate discussion – consider using an in-class exercise to stimulate thought, come
up with stimulating questions, identify possible controversial issues, etc. Feel free to bounce ideas
off the instructor or to work with the instructor to generate ideas together.
• Do not limit yourself to the topic of the day, but try to relate it to topics discussed previously. (Or
come up with an assignment that challenges others to relate the current articles to previous articles.)
Group Project
Throughout the semester, students in the class will work together to create a database of information
derived from course readings and discussion. We will decide as a group how to divide the work for this
project. The main objective of this assignment is to have a resource of information, including the relevant
citations, that will help us integrate across topics and classes and will serve as a resource after the course
is completed. The complete Group Project will include:
• an annotated bibliography of articles discussed in class, relevant papers cited within those articles, and
any other articles read by the discussion leaders in preparation for class
• a spreadsheet that summarizes the specific types of experience that have been shown to affect the
structure and/or function of the adult nervous system
• a spreadsheet that summarizes the specific types of effects that experience can have on the adult
nervous system
• a list of techniques used to study neural plasticity, with their advantages and limitations
• a diagram or other representation of specific brain regions, their functions, and their interconnections
as discussed in class
• a list of important terms and their definitions
Policy on Late Written Assignments
Written assignments will NOT be accepted late.
Policy on Absences
Attendance is required in this course. Make-up assignments for absences will be allowed only when
supporting documentation is provided. NCSU attendance regulations can be found at:
http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/academic_affairs/pols_regs/REG205.00.4.php
Policy on Academic Integrity
Students are expected to adhere to the University policy on academic integrity found in the Code of
Student Conduct. The University policy on honesty and academic integrity can be found at:
http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/student_services/student_discipline/POL11.35.1.php It is the instructors'
understanding and expectation that the submission of any written assignment means that the student
neither gave nor received unauthorized aid on that assignment. Giving or receiving unauthorized aid may
result in an NC for this course as well as more severe disciplinary penalties.
Students with Disabilities
This course adheres to the NCSU policy on working with students with disabilities. This policy can
be found at: http://www.ncsu.edu/provost/hat/current/appendix/appen_k.html and in the NCSU Handbook
for Advising and Teaching. Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable
disabilities. In order to take advantage of available accommodations, students must register with
Disability Services for Students at 1900 Student Health Center, Campus Box 7509, 515-7653. See
http://www.ncsu.edu/provost/offices/affirm_action/dss/ or http://www.ncsu.edu/dso/
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ZO 518 – Experience and the Brain
Course Schedule
Week 1 -- Introductions
"The anatomical organization of the central nervous system," Ch 17 from Kandel et al., Principles of
Neural Science (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1991), pp. 317-336. [distributed in class] (Use as a resource.)
Week 2 – How to read a primary research article
Cotman and Berchtold (2002) Exercise: a behavioral intervention to enhance brain health and plasticity.
TINS 25(6):295-301. [pdf]
Caldji et al. (1998) Maternal care during infancy regulates the development of neural systems mediating
the expression of fearfulness in the rat. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 95:5335-5340. [pdf]
Week 3 – Blindness and the somatosensory system *Reflection Paper 1 due at start of class*
Sterr et al. (1998) Perceptual correlates of changes in cortical representation of fingers in blind
multifinger Braille readers. J Neurosci 18(11):4417-4423. [pdf]
Wang et al., (1995) Remodelling of hand representation in adult cortex determined by timing of tactile
stimulation. Nature 378:71-75. [pdf]
Goldreich and Kanics (2003) Tactile acuity is enhanced in blindness. J Neurosci 23(8):3439-3445. [pdf]
*Reflection Papers are due for 6 of the next 11 classes -- skip the 2 weeks you lead the discussion, Week
7, and two other weeks of your choice.
Week 4 – Enriched sensorimotor experience
Alonso et al. (2006) Olfactory discrimination learning increases the survival of adult-born neurons in the
olfactory bulb. J Neurosci 26(41):10508-10513. [pdf]
Xerri et al. (1999) Representational plasticity in cortical area 3b paralleling tactual-motor skill acquisition
in adult monkeys. Cerebral Cortex 9:264-276. [pdf]
Week 5 – Social context in insects
Withers et al. (1995) Effects of experience and juvenile hormone on the organization of the mushroom
bodies of honey bees. J Neurobiol 26(1):130-144. [pdf]
Fahrbach et al. (2003) Limits on volume changes in the mushroom bodies of the honey bee brain. J
Neurobiol 57:141-151. [pdf]
Ismail et al. (2006) Stimulation of muscarinic receptors mimics experience-dependent plasticity in the
honey bee brain. PNAS 103(1):207-211. [pdf]
Julian and Gronenberg (2002) Reduction of brain volume correlates wtih behavioral changes in queen
ants. Brain Behav Evol 60:152-164. [pdf]
Week 6 – Social context in fish
Elofsson et al. (1997) Number of preoptic GnRH-immunoreactive cells correlates with sexual phase in a
protandrously hermaphroditic fish, the dusky anemonefish (Amphiprion melanopus). J Comp Physiol A
181:484-492. [pdf]
Hofmann and Fernald (2000) Social status controls somatostatin neuron size and growth. Pain
20(12):4740-4744. [pdf]
CAF for ZO 518 – page 6 of 7
Black et al. (2005) Socially induced and rapid increases in aggression are inversely related to brain
aromatase activity in a sex-changing fish, Lythrypnus dalli. Proc R Soc B 272:2435-2440. [pdf]
Dunlap et al. (2006) Social interaction and cortisol treatment increase cell addition and radial glia fiber
density in the diencephalic periventricular zone of adult electric fish, Apteronotus leptorhynchus. Horm
Behav 50:10-17. [pdf]
Week 7 – Group Project assessment and work session
No assigned readings. We will meet to assess the status of the Group Project and to determine a strategy
for completing the project. This will be a full class meeting. Come prepared to present on what has been
completed and to work on the project.
Week 8 – Phantom limb
Hunter et al. (2003) The effect of tactile and visual sensory inputs on phantom limb awareness. Brain
126:579-589. [pdf]
Karl et al. (2004) Neuroelectric source imaging of steady-state movement-related cortical potentials in
human upper extremity amputees with and without phantom limb pain. Pain 110:90-102. [pdf]
Knecht et al. (1998) Phantom sensations following acute pain. Pain 77:209-213. [pdf]
Optional (review article):
Ramachandran (2005) Plasticity and functional recovery in neurology. Clin Med 5:368-373. [pdf]
Week 9 – Chronic stress
Akirav and Richter-Levin (1999) Biphasic modulation of hippocampal plasticity by behavioral stress and
basolateral amygdala stimulation in the rat. J Neurosci 19(23):10530-10535. [pdf]
Magarinos et al. (1996) Chronic psychosocial stress causes apical dendritic atrophy of hippocampal CA3
pyramidal neurons in subordinate tree shrews. J Neurosci 16(10):3534-3540. [pdf]
Pavlides et al. (2002) Effects of chronic stress on hippocampal long-term potentiation. Hippocampus
12:245-257. [pdf]
Astur et al. (2006) Hippocampus function predicts severity of post-traumatic stress disorder.
CyberPsychology & Behavior 9(2):234-240. [pdf]
Week 10 – Chronic pain
Apkarian et al. (2004) Chronic back pain is associated with decreased prefrontal and thalamic gray matter
density. J Neurosci 24(46):10410-10415. [pdf]
Naeini et al. (2005) Remodeling of spinal nociceptive mechanisms in an animal model of monoarthritis.
Eur J Neurosci 22:2005-2015. [pdf]
Bird et al. (2006) Pain-related synaptic plasticity in spinal dorsal horn neurons: role of CGRP. Molec Pain
2(31). [pdf] http://www.molecularpain.com/content/2/1/31
Week 11 – Musical training
Pantev et al. (2001) Representational cortex in musicians: plastic alterations in response to musical
practice. Annals NY Acad Sci 930:300-314. [pdf]
Kim et al. (2004) Musical training-induced functional reorganization of the adult brain: functional
CAF for ZO 518 – page 7 of 7
magnetic resonance imaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation study on amateur string players. Hum
Brain Mapp 23:188-199. [pdf]
Norton et al. (2005) Are there pre-existing neural, cognitive, or motoric markers for musical ability?
Brain Cog 59:124-134. [pdf]
Week 12 – Learning tasks
Puttemans et al. (2005) Changes in brain activation during the acquisition of a multifrequency bimanual
coordination task: from the cognitive stage to advanced levels of automaticity. J Neurosci 25(17):42704278. [pdf]
Walker et al. (2005) Sleep-dependent motor memory plasticity in the human brain. Neurosci 133:911917. [pdf]
Buchel et al. (1999) The predictive value of changes in effective connectivity for human learning. Science
283:1538-1541. [pdf]
Week 13 – Behavioral modification
Nakatani et al. (2003) Effects of behavior therapy on regional blood cerebral blood flow in obsessivecompulsive disorder. Pychiatry Research: Neuroimaging 124:113-120. [pdf]
Brody et al. (2001) Regional brain metabolic changes in patients with major depression treated with either
paroxetine or interpersonal therapy. Arch Gen Psychiatry 58:631-640. [copies distributed in class]
Straube et al. (2006) Effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy on brain activation in specific phobia.
NeuroImage 29:125-135. [pdf]
Paquette et al. (2003) "Change the mind and you change the brain": effects of cognitive-behavioral
therapy on the neural correlates of spider phobia. NeuroImage 18:401-409. [pdf]
Optional (review article):
Linden DEJ (2006) How psychotherapy changes the brain -- the contribution of functional neuroimaging.
Molec Psych 11:528-538. [pdf]
Week 14 -- Meditation
Davidson et al. (2003) Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation.
Psychosomatic Medicine 65:564-570. [pdf]
Lutz et al. (2004) Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental
practice. PNAS 101:16369-16373. [pdf]
Kakigi et al. (2005) Intracerebral pain processing in a Yoga Master who claims not to feel pain during
meditation. Eur J Pain 9:581-589. [pdf]
Lazar et al. (2005) Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness. Neuroreport
16(17):1893-1897. [pdf]
Week 15 – Summary discussion
*Reflection Paper 8 due at start of class – special assignment for this 3-5 page paper will be given two
weeks in advance*