BSCI 446 Neural Systems
Dr. Daphne Soares
daph@umd.edu
5-8413
BioPsych building 2277
Office hours per appointment
TA: Clare Sengupta
dsengupt@umd.edu
BRB 1217
Office hours Tuesday/ Thursday 12:30-1:30
Course Meetings
TuTh 8:00am - 9:15am
PLS 1140
Purpose
This course is designed primarily for upper division undergraduates and graduate
students who already have a strong introductory background in Biology and in
Introductory Neuroscience. Ideally students should be familiar with both Neuroscience
and Animal Behavior, and/or Biological Psychology. The course will review the rapidly
expanding field of neuroscience, providing a general introduction to the subject and some
of its many model systems. The course is research oriented, with an emphasis on critical
reading of reviews and original papers in the literature.
Material
We do not have a textbook but use reading from papers from Nature Reviews online and
other resources. We strongly suggest that you take advantage of the resources.
Learning Goals
After taking this course, students should be able to:
 Demonstrate mastery of core principles in the field of neuroscience using specific
examples drawn from the comparative literature on natural behaviors of animals.
 Demonstrate both the power and usefulness of the comparative method in
neuroscience by making reference to specific examples from anatomy,
physiology, and behavior.
 Explain in terms of neuronal circuits how some well-studied behaviors are
controlled by a particular pattern of neuronal and synaptic connections of neurons
with specific cellular properties.
 Cite and explain examples of neural circuits have undergone changes during
evolution.
Lectures
There will be two one-hour and fifteen minute lectures per week. You must attend
all the lectures. You may take notes on your laptops if you wish, but please refrain
from email, internet surfing, and other such activities.
Code of academic integrity
Each student in this course is expected to follow the Code of Academic Integrity
approved by President August 1, 1991; Amended May 10, 2001; Amended May 5,
2005; Technical Amendments June 2012. The Code is explained on
http://www.president.umd.edu/policies/iii100a.html
Facebook
The course Facebook site will be used to post important information about the
readings, the assigned lecture topic, discussions. Students are responsible for the
content of the course Facebook site.
Final project
The final project is an opportunity for you to spend time with your favorite material
and create a product that is graded. This project is a group project of 3-4 students.
There is a deadline on Nov 26 for the groups and the outline of the project. This
project could be a short video on Youtube, a review paper or anything that is
approved. Approach us with an idea!
Lectures
Date
Lecture #
Topic
3
1
Review and techniques
5
2
Neurodevelopment
10
3
Evolution
12
4
Visual system periphery
17
5
Visual system central
19
6
Visual system in depth
24
7
Auditory system periphery
26
8
Auditory system central
1
9
Auditory system in depth
3
10
Exam 1
8
11
Chemosensory
10
12
Chemosensory in depth
15
13
Somatosensory system
17
14
Pain and the brain
22
15
Motor systems spinal cord
24
16
Motor systems brain
29
17
Memory behavioral
31
18
Memory cellular
5
19
Memory in depth
7
20
Exam 2
12
21
Circadian rhythms and the brain
14
22
Sleep and the brain
19
23
Neuroimmunology
21
24
Neuroedoncrinology
26
25
Addiction and the brain
28
26
Thanksgiving NO CLASS
3
27
Glia, the other brain
5
28
Sex and the brain
10
29
Vote!
12
30
Review
Friday, December 20
10:30am-12:30pm
September
October
November
December
FINAL
Exam
Exam
Final
Final project
TOTAL
1
2
Points
25
25
40
10
100
Other info
Lectures 1-9
Guest speaker
Guest speaker
Lectures 11-19
Vote on last lecture
Outline of project due
Lectures 1-9
Lectures 11-18
Lectures 20-29 25 points, 15 point cumulative
Resources
Intro
 What so funny about mental illness TED talk
http://www.ted.com/talks/ruby_wax_what_s_so_funny_about_mental_illness
.html
 RSA animate the divided brain
http://www.thersa.org/events/rsaanimate/animate/rsa-animate-thedivided-brain
 Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor stroke of insight
http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.ht
ml
 Dr. Vilayanur Ramachandran: The neurons that shaped civilization
http://www.ted.com/talks/vs_ramachandran_the_neurons_that_shaped_civil
ization.html
Development
 Scientists discuss the developing brain in Charlie Rose show
http://www.charlierose.com/watch/50037924
 Dr. Hollis "Holly" T. Cline, Building Brain Circuits
http://hermes.mbl.edu/events/2009_events_friday/events_friday_06_19_09.
html
 Dr. Nicole LeDouarin: The Neural Crest in Vertebrate Development
http://www.ibioseminars.org/lectures/dev-bio-a-evolution/nicole-ledouarin.html
Evolution
• Early central nervous system evolution: an era of skin brains? Nicholas D.
Holland 2003 Nature Reviews Neuroscience 4, 617-627
• The Origin and evolution of synapses. Tomás J. Ryan & Seth G. N. Grant 2009
Nature Reviews Neuroscience 10, 701-712
• Fossil Evidence on Origin of the Mammalian Brain Timothy Rowe, Thomas
Macrini and Zhe-Xi Luo 2011 Science v332 955-957
Visual system
 Attentional enhancement of spatial resolution: linking behavioural and
neurophysiological evidence 2013 Katharina Anton-Erxleben1 & Marisa
Carrasco Nature Reviews Neuroscience 14, 188-200
 Scientists and Charlie Rose discuss the perceiving brain.
http://video.mit.edu/watch/charlie-rose-the-perceiving-brain-sight-andvisual-perception-with-scientists-tony-movshon-na-4815/
 Dr. Jeremy Nathans: Photoreceptors and Image Processing.
http://www.ibioseminars.org/lectures/neuroscience/jeremy-nathans.html
 Rippin' the Rainbow a New One RadioLab
http://www.radiolab.org/2012/may/21/rip-rainbow/
Auditory system
 Dr. Zador's goal is to understand the mechanisms underlying the neural
correlates of auditory processing, attention and decision making.
http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?Live=6170
 Localizing Mechanotransducer Channels to the Tips of Auditory Hair Cell
Stereocilia. http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?Live=8592
 Dr. Griffiths’ group works on the analysis of sound by the brain and the way
in which this can go wrong in brain disorder.
http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?Live=3625
Chemosensory
 Dr. Bargmann’s laboratory investigates how the neural circuits in C. elegans
develop, identifies the genes and neural pathways for its navigation
behaviors and asks how sensory inputs regulate those circuits. Dissecting a
Circuit for Olfactory Behavior.
http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?Live=7132
 Dr. Isaacson's lab targets two systems: the central synaptic pathways
involved in the processing of sound and smell.
http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?Live=6162
 Nature insight: Chemical Sensing 2006 Vol. 444, No. 7117 pp287-321
 Structure and diversity in mammalian accessory olfactory bulb, Esmail
Meisami Kunwar P. Bhatnagar Microscopy Research and Technique,
Volume 43, Issue 6, pages 476–499, 15 December 1998
Somatosensory system and pain
 Dr. Elliot Krane talks about the complex mystery of chronic pain, and reviews
the facts we're just learning about how it works and how to treat it.
http://www.ted.com/talks/elliot_krane_the_mystery_of_chronic_pain.html
 Dr. David Julius, The Molecular Biology of Thermosensation and Pain.
http://hermes.mbl.edu/events/2009_events_friday/events_friday_07_16_09.
html
 Sex differences in pain and pain inhibition: multiple explanations of a
controversial phenomenon 2012 Jeffrey S. Mogil Nature Reviews
Neuroscience 13, 859-866
Motor system
 Dr. Miguel Nicolelis talks about brain and robotics
http://www.ted.com/talks/miguel_nicolelis_a_monkey_that_controls_a_robo
t_with_its_thoughts_no_really.html
 Dr Daniel Wolpert: The real reason for brains
http://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_wolpert_the_real_reason_for_brains.html
 Disorders of Motor Neurons - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Spinal
Muscular Atrophy with Dr. Eric Kandel, Dr. Richard Finkel of Nemours
Children’s Hospital, Dr.Neil Shneider of Columbia University; and Peter
Frates. http://www.charlierose.com/watch/60100481
Circadian rhythms and sleep
 Dr. Penelope Lewis directs the Sleep and Memory Lab at the University of
Manchester in England. Her new book is The Secret World of Sleep: The
Surprising Science of the Mind at Rest.
http://www.npr.org/2013/08/15/212276021/of-neurons-and-memoriesinside-the-secret-world-of-sleep
 Dr. Russell Foster is a circadian neuroscientist: He studies the sleep cycles of
the brain. And he asks: What do we know about sleep?
http://www.ted.com/talks/russell_foster_why_do_we_sleep.html
 Dr. Wilson's laboratory focuses on the study of information representation
across large populations of neurons in the mammalian nervous system, as
well as on the mechanisms that underlie formation and maintenance of
distributed memories in freely behaving animals.
http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?Live=6165
 Synaptic plasticity in sleep: learning, homeostasis and disease . Gordon
Wang, Brian Grone, Damien Colas, Lior Appelbaum, Philippe Mourrain
Trends in Neurosciences, Volume 34, Issue 9, September 2011, Pages 452–
463
Memory
 9 classic movies about memory manipulation, and how they inspired real
neuroscience http://blog.ted.com/2013/08/15/8-classic-movies-aboutmemory-manipulation-and-how-they-inspired-real-neuroscience/
 This hour of Radiolab, a look behind the curtain of how memories are
made...and forgotten. http://www.radiolab.org/2007/jun/07/
 Dr. Mu-ming Poo: “Neural Plasticity: From Synapse to Perception”.
http://videocenter.mbl.edu/videos/video/399/
 Molecular and circulatory mechanisms for hippocampus dependent memory
http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?Live=3624
Neuroimmunology
 The immune system and developmental programming of brain and behavior.
Staci D. Bilbo, Jaclyn M. Schwarz. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology. Volume
33, Issue 3, August 2012, Pages 267–286
 The immune system and major depression. Janis L. Anderson. Advances in
Neuroimmunology. Volume 6, Issue 2, 1996, Pages 119–129
 From inflammation to sickness and depression: when the immune system
subjugates the brain. Robert Dantzer Jason C. O'Connor Gregory G. Freund,
Rodney W. Johnson1 & Keith W. Kelley. 2008 Nature Reviews Neuroscience
9, 46-56

Radiolab segment in which “Fuller Torrey details Toxoplasma's potential
associations with other human disorders, possibly even schizophrenia.”
http://www.radiolab.org/2009/sep/07/the-scratch/
Neuroedoncrinology




Acute effects of steroid hormones and neuropeptides on human social–
emotional behavior: A review of single administration studies. Frontiers in
Neuroendocrinology. Volume 33, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 17–35 Peter A.
Bosa, Jaak Pankseppb, Rose-Marie Bluthéc, Jack van Honka,
Oxytocin, vasopressin, and human social behavior. Markus Heinrichs
Bernadette von Dawans, Gregor Domes. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology
Volume 30, Issue 4, October 2009, Pages 548–557
Effects of stress throughout the lifespan on the brain, behaviour and
cognition 2009 Sonia J. Lupien, Bruce S. McEwen, Megan R. Gunnar &
Christine Heim Nature Reviews Neuroscience 10, 434-445 (June 2009)
Estrogen neuroprotection and the critical period hypothesis. Erin Scott,
Quan-guang Zhang, Ruimin Wang, Ratna Vadlamudi, Darrell Brann
Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, Volume 33, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages
85–104
Addiction and the brain
 Scientists discuss the addictive brain in Charlie Rose show
http://www.charlierose.com/watch/50050982
 An interactive website about addiction
http://www.time.com/time/interactive/0,31813,1640235,00.html
 Historical review: Molecular and cellular mechanisms of opiate and cocaine
addiction 2004 Eric J. Nestler Trends in Pharmacological Sciences. V 25,
Issue 4, April 2004, Pages 210–218
Glia, the other brain
 Dr. Bergles' lab is interested in understanding the mechanisms by which
neurons and glial cells interact to support normal communication in the
nervous system. http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?Live=8080
 Dr. Corfas is interested in understanding the molecular signals that regulate
neuron-glia interactions, which play critical roles in several aspects of
nervous-system development, including neuronal migration, neuronal and
glial differentiation and survival, and the formation and function of synapses.
http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?Live=6161
 Emerging roles of astrocytes in neural circuit development. Laura E. Clarke &
Ben A. Barres 2013 Nature Reviews Neuroscience 14, 311-321
 How Many Cell Types Does It Take to Wire a Brain? , Richard M. Ransohoff
and Beth Stevens, Science 333, 1391 (2011)
Sex and the brain
 Why sex matters for neuroscience. Larry Cahill 2006 Nature Reviews
Neuroscience 7, 477-484
 Catherine Dulac: Sex and Smell: Chemosensory Detection.
http://www.ibioseminars.org/lectures/neuroscience/catherine-dulac-part1.html
 Dr. Leslie Vosshall, Food and sex: genetics of innate behavior
http://videocenter.mbl.edu/videos/video/141/
 Pheromones in sex and reproduction: Do they have a role in humans?,
Taymour Mostafa, Ghada El Khouly, Ashraf Hassan, Journal of Advanced
Research, Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 1–9