PSY/NEU 811
ADVANCED BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE SPRING SEMESTER 2015
INSTRUCTOR:
Tony Nunez
OFFICE:
102 Giltner Hall or 230A Chittenden Hall (by appointment)
e-mail: nunez@msu.edu; voice mail: 353-9066 or 355-0301.
TIME/PLACE:
Mondays &Wednesdays 8:30 – 9:50 am, Giltner Hall 101
READINGS:
1)
Background Information: Carlson, NR (2012) Physiology of Behavior 11th edition (or equivalent current
text books).
2)
Original Papers/Reviews: Sets 1-3.
3)
Integration Articles
COURSE OUTLINE:
The core of the course includes three thematic units. Each unit starts with a historical overview and includes
reading of review articles and class discussion of key research papers. The readings for Units 2 and 3 include
articles that integrate the theme of Unit 1 with those of Units 2 and 3.
GRADES: In-Class Exams (60%), class presentation/outline (15%), proposal (15%), target articles
discussions (10 %).
UNIT ONE: Learning and Memory: Set 1 January 12 – February 4
February 2: Unit One Target Articles Discussions (see Below)
February 9: In-class exam for Unit One (20%)
UNIT TWO: Sleep & Rhythms: Set 2 and Unit 1 and 2 Integration Article. February 11 – March 2
February 25: Unit Two Target Articles Discussions
March 4: In-class exam for Unit Two (20%)
March 9 - 13: SPRING BREAK.
UNIT THREE: Reproduction in Context: Set 3 and Unit 1 and 3 Integration Article. March 16 – April 6
The background reading for this unit should cover text-book chapters on feeding behavior/energy balance as well as
reproduction.
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April 1: Unit Three Target Articles Discussions
April 8: In-class exam for Unit Three (20%)
CLASS PRESENTATIONS April 13 – April 29 (see Below)
A SENTENCE OUTLINE WITH A LIST OF 5 TO 10 KEY REFERENCES IS DUE THE DAY OF THE
PRESENTATION (provide copies for all class participants)
Discussion of Class Presentations and Grant Proposal April 6
TOPIC SELECTIONS WITH TWO CORE REFERENCES ARE DUE ABOUT TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE
START OF THE CLASS PRESENTATIONS (April 1)
PREDOCTORAL GRANT PROPOSAL: DUE MONDAY OF FINALS WEEK (May 4) before 5:00 pm
PROPOSAL OUTLINE:
1.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE: What have you done? What is the topic of your thesis? Include a list of
publications/conference presentations and awards (2-page limit*).
2.
SPONSOR/INSTITUTION: Why do you want to work with the sponsoring investigator? What is ideal
about the selected laboratory and institution? The sponsor may be a scientist from MSU, but your proposal
may also identify a sponsor from another institution (2-page limit).
3.
RESEARCH PLAN: This section should include a brief review of the literature, a set of specific aims, and
a description of experiments to achieve those specific aims, as well as an explanation of the significance of
the research. The proposal should include work to be completed in three years. The proposed research
may be related (BUT NOT IDENTICAL) to your current research project or to work done in previous
laboratory rotations (6-page limit).
The research plan MUST include a discussion of how the proposed training and research activities
relates to the field of Behavioral Neuroscience.
4.
LITERATURE CITED: Provide a complete list of the papers cited in the proposal with full bibliographical
information (no page limit).
5.
TRAINING POTENTIAL: Explain how the proposed research will complement your current and past
training. Describe any activity (e.g., seminars, workshops, short-courses) during the three years of support
that will add to the training potential of the research experience. An important component of this section is
to describe training plans in areas related to the responsible conduct of research and research ethics (1-page
limit).
* All page limits are for single-spaced format.
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Target Articles Discussion:
In addition to the regular readings, there will be two target articles for discussion for each of the three
units. All of us will read the selected articles, but 2 -3 class participants will be responsible for leading a
structured discussion of each of the two articles; full class time will be devoted to these
presentations/discussions on February 2, February 25 and April 1. For each article the group responsible
for its content will prepare a discussion/presentation that will cover the following:
(1) An explanation of the rationale, method and major findings of the article, including supplemental
materials associated with the publication. When preparing this section, assume that the rest of the
class has read the paper once, but not as carefully as you did.
(2) A discussion of how the material of the article relates to the rest of the content of the pertinent
unit (challenges, contradictions, confirmations of perspectives presented in class and/or the
assigned readings.
(3) A summary of the accomplishments and significance of the article’s content that would be
accessible and interesting to the general public.
This is a group assignment and a single grade will be assigned to all members of each group. Each
presentation is limited to 30 minutes/ article. The format used to accomplish (1), (2) and (3) and the
work distribution among group members is the decision of the group. Dates for the presentations will
be randomly determined, but you are free to trade dates among yourselves.
Individual Class Presentations:
Each class member will prepare a class presentation to cover a topic in neuroscience that relates to
behavioral neuroscience. Different from the Target Articles Discussions (see above), these will be
individual presentations of 30 – 35 minutes with 5-10 minutes for discussion. The topic you select may be
the same or very similar to the main theme of your proposal. However, keep in mind that your primary
goal here is to inform the class about something you know very well; thus the presentation is likely to be
more like the background and significance section of your proposal. A sentence outline with citations and
a reference list is due the day of your presentation for distribution to all class participants. Late in the term
class time will be reserved to discuss the class presentations and the grant proposal. Presentations are
scheduled for April 13, 15, 20, 22, 27 and 29. Dates for the presentations will be randomly determined,
but you are free to trade dates among yourselves.
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PSY/NEU SPRING 2015 Readings, Target Articles and Integration Articles
Unit One Readings
Eichenbaum, H. et al. (2012) Towards a functional organization of episodic memory in the medial
temporal lobe. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 36: 1597-1608.
Davidson, T.L. et al. (2004) The hippocampus and inhibitory learning: a ‘Gray’ area? Neuroscience
and Biobehavioral Reviews, 28: 261-271.
Eichenbaum, H. and Cohen, N.J. (2014) Can we reconcile the declarative memory and spatial
navigation views on hippocampal function? Neuron, 83: 764 – 770.
Packard, M. (2009) Exhumed from thought: basal ganglia and response learning in the plus-maze.
Behavioural Brain Research, 199: 24-31.
Unit One Target Articles (for February 2)
Miller, JF et al. (2013) Neural activity in human hippocampal formation reveals the spatial context
of retrieved memories. Science, 342: 1111 – 1114.
Forcelli, P.A. et al. (2014) Memory loss in a nonnavigational spatial task after hippocampal
inactivation in monkeys. PNAS, 111: 4315 – 4320.
Unit Two Readings
Ko CH and Takahashi, JS (2006)Molecular components of the mammalian circadian clock Human
Molecular Genetics 15: R271 – R277.
Silver, R. and Kriegsfeld, L.J. (2014) Circadian rhythms have broad implications for understanding
brain and behavior. European Journal of Neuroscience, 1-15 doi:10.1111/ejn.12593.
Welsh DK et al. (2010) Suprachiasmatic nucleus: Cell autonomy and networks properties. Annual
Review of Physiology, 72: 551 – 577.
Saper CB et al. (2010) Sleep state switching. Neuron, 22: 1023 – 1042.
Unit Two Target Articles (for February 25 )
Halassa MM et al. (2009) Astrocytic modulation of sleep homeostasis and cognitive consequences
of sleep loss. Neuron, 61: 213 – 219.
Butler, M.P. et al. (2012) Twelve-hour days in the brain and behavior of split hamsters. European
Journal of Neuroscience, 36: 2556 – 2566.
Unit Three Readings
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Wallen K (2001) Sex and context: hormones and primate sexual motivation. Hormones and
Behavior, 40: 339 – 357.
Anderson DJ (2012) Optogenetics, sex, and violence in the brain: implications for Psychiatry.
Biological Psychiatry, 71: 1081 – 1089.
Wade, GN and Jones, JE (2004) Neuroendocrinology of nutritional infertility. American Journal of
Physiology, 287: R1277 – R1296.
Schneider, JE et al. (2013) When do we eat? Ingestive behavior, survival, and reproductive
success. Hormones and Behavior, 702 – 728.
Unit Three Target Articles (for April 1 )
Reding, K et al. (2012) Social status modifies estradiol activation of sociosexual behavior in female
rhesus monkeys. Hormones and Behavior, 62: 612 – 620.
Abdulhay, A. et al. (2014) Estrous cycle fluctuations in sex and ingestive behavior are accentuated
by exercise or cold ambient temperatures. Hormones and Behavior, 66: 135 – 147.
Integration Articles
Unit 1 and Unit 2:
Fernandez, F. et al. (2014) Dysrhythmia in the suprachiasmatic nucleus inhibits memory
processing. Science, 346: 854 – 857. (Read by February 23)
Unit 1 and Unit 3:
Zhang, Z. et al. (2014) Impaired associative learning with food rewards in obese women. Current
Biology, 24: 1731 – 1736. (Read by March 25)
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