PSYC/NEURO 414: BRAIN, LEARNING, AND MEMORY
Fall 2018: MWF 1:00-1:50 PM
PSYCHOLOGY BUILDING ROOM 23
Important information:
Instructor: Amy Perkins (aper1@illinois.edu)
Office hours: Office hours: Monday 2-3 pm (Psychology Building Room 512)
Course information:
Course Description: Welcome to Brain, Learning, and Memory. This course describes current
research on the physiological bases of learning and memory. It covers a wide range of topics from
molecular (e.g., cellular, morphological, and functional plasticity) to more global (e.g., effects of
clinical and experimental brain damage on learning and memory processes).
Prerequisites: PSYC 210 (Behavioral Neuroscience), MCB 150 (Molecular and Cellular Basis of
Life), or consent of instructor.
Required textbook: Neurobiology of Learning and Memory 2nd edition by Jerry W. Rudy.
Website: An Illinois Compass 2g website at https://compass2g.illinois.edu/ has been
established for this course. It contains lecture slides and grades. You will need your Net ID and
password to access the site.
DRES accommodations: To ensure that disability-related concerns are properly addressed,
students who require assistance to participate in this class are asked to contact the instructor
within the first two weeks of the semester and make arrangements for special accommodations
through DRES (Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services).
Academic Honesty: Cheating will not be tolerated in any form. You are expected to read and
abide by the student code of conduct. Anyone caught cheating on an exam, helping another
student cheat, or plagiarizing will result in, at minimum, a grade of zero on the test and a
maximum grade of ‘C’ for the class. Students must be cognizant of this statement from the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Student Handbook: “It is the responsibility of the student to
refrain from infractions of academic integrity, from conduct that may lead to suspicion of such
infractions, and from conduct that aids others in such infractions.”
Exams: Four semi-cumulative exams will be given during the regular class on the dates listed
below. Each exam will contribute 25% (20% for graduate students) towards your final grade. No
makeup exams will be given. However, your lowest exam score will be dropped at the end of
the semester. The final exam will contribute 25% (20% for graduate students) towards your final
grade. The final exam cannot be dropped. If you cannot take the final exam on the scheduled
date, you must notify me one week before the final day of instruction so that special
accommodations can be arranged.
Graduate Student Requirements: Graduate students will have an additional written
assignment described at a later time. This assignment will be work 20% of your final grade.
Grading: Your final grade will be based on the following criteria:
Page 1
A+
A
B+
B
C+
C
D+
D
F
98-100
90-97
88-89
80-87
78-79
70-77
68-69
60-67
0-59
Class Schedule:
Date
Aug. 27
Aug. 29
Aug. 31
Topic
Introduction and Basics of Neuroscience
Historical Foundation
Historical Foundation
Readings
None
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Sept. 3
Sept. 5
Sept. 7
LABOR DAY—NO CLASS
Memory Modulation Systems
Memory Modulation Systems
Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Sept. 10
Sept. 12
Sept. 14
Fate of Retrieved Memories
Fate of Retrieved Memories
Memory Systems & The Hippocampus
Chapter 14
Chapter 14/15
Chapter 15
Sept. 17
Sept. 19
Sept. 21
Review
EXAM 1 (IN CLASS): CH. 1, 13-15
The Hippocampus
Chapter 16
Sept. 24
Sept. 26
Sept. 28
The Hippocampus
The MTH System
The Cortico-Striatal System
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Oct. 1
Oct. 3
Oct. 5
Learning About Danger
Learning About Danger
Review
Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Oct. 8
Oct. 10
Oct. 12
EXAM 2 (IN CLASS): CH. 16-19
Mechanisms of Synaptic Plasticity
Mechanisms of Synaptic Plasticity
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Oct. 15
Oct. 17
Oct. 19
Modifying Synapses
Modifying Synapses
Generating and Stabilizing the Trace
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Oct. 22
Oct. 24
Oct. 26
Generating and Stabilizing the Trace
Review
EXAM 3 (IN CLASS): CH. 2-4
Chapter 4
Oct. 29
Consolidating Synaptic Changes
Chapter 5
Page 2
Oct. 31
Nov. 2
Consolidating Synaptic Changes
Consolidating Synaptic Changes
Chapter 5/6
Chapter 6
Nov. 5
Nov. 7
Nov. 9
Maintaining the Consolidated Trace
Maintaining the Consolidated Trace
Toward a Synthesis
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Nov. 12
Nov. 14
Nov. 16
Toward a Synthesis
Review
EXAM 4 (IN CLASS): CH. 5-8
Chapter 8
Nov. 19-23
THANKSGIVING BREAK—NO CLASS
Nov. 26
Nov. 28
Nov. 30
Making Memories
Making Memories
Memory Formation
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Dec. 3
Dec. 5
Dec. 7
Memory Formation
Memory Consolidation
Memory Consolidation
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Dec. 10
Dec. 12
Dec.
Memory & Aging
Review
FINAL EXAM (CANNOT BE DROPPED): CH. 9-11
N/A
Page 3
TIME/DATE TBD