University of Toronto
PSY393 H Summer 2006
Cognitive Neuroscience
Instructors: Charlene O’Connor, MSc,
MA
Office Hours: by appointment
Tel: 416 785 2500 X2826
e-mail:
charlen@psych.utoronto.ca
Katherine Krpan, BSc, MA
Office Hours: by appointment
Tel: 416 785 2500 X2170
e-mail:
katherine@psych.utoronto.ca
Gary Turner, MA
Office Hours: by appointment
psy393kk@psych.utoronto.ca
Assistant:
About us:
TR 3-6 Room BA 1230
Charlene: I am a PhD student in Psychology with a special interest in rehabilitation of
cognitive functions following brain damage. I developed this interest when I worked as an
occupational therapist in the community with individuals with brain injury, stroke, and
neurodegenerative disorders. After practicing for five years, I completed an MSc in the
Department of Rehabilitation Science at University of Toronto analyzing the predictors of
long-term outcomes after brain injury. I switched to psychology to work under the
supervision of Dr. Brian Levine, a scientist and clinical neuropsychologist at the Rotman
Research Institute, and received my MA. Currently, I am working on projects that examine
the effectiveness of rehabilitation approaches that target disorganized behaviour due to
attentional and executive dysfunction and how the brain reorganizes in response to
treatment.
Katherine: I am a fourth year graduate student in the Department of Psychology –
currently working on my 8th year at the University of Toronto! In 2001, I finished my
Bachelor of Science at UTM, where I studied experiential and hormonal correlates of
adolescent maternal behaviour with Professor Alison Fleming. In 2002 I changed my
primary research focus to experimental neuropsychology, and completed my Masters of
Arts in 2004. I am currently at PhD student working under the direction of Dr. Nicole
Anderson and Dr. Donald Stuss at Baycrest’s KLARU and Rotman Research Institute. My
research in concerned with the relationships between both executive and affective function
and coping following traumatic brain injury. In addition to my research, I am studying to be
a clinical neuropsychologist.
Synopsis:
In this course we will examine the relationships between the brain, behaviour and cognitive
function. Initial lectures will consist of a general introduction to neuroanatomy, cortical
organization and methods used by cognitive neuroscientists. These introductory lectures
will be followed by lectures focusing on specific brain functions (e.g., attention, memory
language, executive functions etc). Emphasis will be placed on the consequences of
specific forms of brain injuries (e.g., brain injuries, strokes, tumours).
Objectives:
At the end of the course students will have an understanding of how the brain is organized,
and how many cognitive functions and behaviours are performed. The course will cover
some popular topics such as amnesia and “frontal” syndromes and, therefore, may be of
interest to a wide spectrum of students. However, students interested in pursuing
neuropsychology or neurology studies will find the course particularly useful. By
University of Toronto
PSY393 H Summer 2006
Cognitive Neuroscience
TR 3-6 Room BA 1230
completing this course you will fulfill a third year “Physiological Psychology” requirement.
This course can be used as one of the prerequisites for fourth year physiology seminars.
Course Format: Classes will consist of case studies, lectures and videos demonstrating impairments in
cognitive abilities outlined in lectures. Lectures will be based on the textbook, with
supplements from additional sources. Students are strongly encouraged to attend lectures
to gain information that is not presented in the textbook. Lectures will be done using
power-point slide presentation, which will be available on the course web site after each
lecture. Students are strongly encouraged to take detailed notes during lecture, and
supplement their notes with the PowerPoint slides at a later time.
Textbooks:
Banich, M.T. (2004). Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuropsychology, 2nd edition. New
York: Houghton Mifflin Company. (Approximate price: $ 107.00)
Readings:
You are encouraged to read the assigned readings before each lecture as this will facilitate
and extend your knowledge acquired in class. The Banich textbook is detailed and will
require you to remember and integrate information. You should pay close, but not
exclusive, attention to the material that overlaps with lecture material. In addition, a
collection of supplementary readings have been specified and are available on the website
for download. These readings, although not required, provide more in-depth coverage of
some of the key concepts introduced in the lectures. Therefore, you will not be responsible
for the details of these readings beyond the level presented in the lectures. However, these
readings should be used to consolidate and clarify your understanding.
Web Page:
http://web.psych.utoronto.ca/~psy393kk/
Grading:
Term Test
Term Paper
Final Exam
Tests:
Term tests will be based on the material from the textbook, lectures and videos. The tests
will consist of multiple-choice questions (~50%; based on textbook and other readings),
matching questions (based on readings and lectures) shorter and longer questions, as well
as a diagram requiring you to label brain parts (based on lectures, videos and textbooks).
The shorter and longer questions will require students to integrate knowledge analytically
(i.e., you will be required to show us that you have not only memorized course material, but
that you understand it). Please see sample question examples on the web.
40%
20%
40%
Prerequisites: PSY201, (PSY270/PSY290)/ZOO252/NRS201/PSL300. It is your responsibility to ensure
that you have met all prerequisites listed in the UT Calendar for this course. If you lack any
prerequisites for this course, the Department may cancel your registration at anytime.
Further information about academic regulations, course withdrawal dates and credits can
be found in the University of Toronto Calendar. If you run into trouble and need information
about studying, preparing for exams, note taking or time management, free workshops and
advice are available from the Academic Skills Centre.
Make-ups:
For this particular course, there will be NO make-up tests. If you miss the term test without
a legitimate excuse, you will receive a mark of zero for that test. If you do have a legitimate
excuse (e.g., doctor’s note; please see Calendar, Section 6), your final exam will be worth
80% of your final grade. If you submit medical documentation make sure it contains the
statement "This student was unable to write the test (or submit term work by the last day of
University of Toronto
PSY393 H Summer 2006
Cognitive Neuroscience
TR 3-6 Room BA 1230
classes, if applicable) on (date) for medical reasons". You are advised to see your
physician within one day of the missed test. Many physicians will not provide
documentation retroactively.
Schedule of Lectures and Readings
Date
Topic
Readings
Lecturer
May 16
Principles of Neuroscience
Kolb, B. & Whishaw, I. Q. (2003). Fundamentals of
Human Neuropsychology. 5th Edition. New York: Worth
Publishers. Chapter 1, pp. 1-26.
O’Connor &
Krpan
May 18
Neuroanatomy and Methods
in Neuroscience
Chapters 1 & 3
Supplemental: Mesulam, M. M. (2003). Some anatomic
principles related to behavioral neurology and
neuropsychology. In M. J. Farah & T. E. Feinberg (Eds.),
Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychology. New York:
McGraw-Hill. pp. 45-56.
O’Connor
May 23
Hemispheric Specialization
and Paper Tutorial
Krpan
May 25
Vision and Agnosia
Chapter 4
Supplemental: Keenank J.P., Rubio, J., Racioppi, C.,
Johnson, A., & Barnacz, A. (2005). The right hemisphere
and the dark side of consciousness. Cortex, 41(5): 695704.
Chapter 6
Supplemental: Ungerleider, L. G., & Haxby, J. V. (1994).
‘What and where’ in the human brain. Current Opinion in
Neurobiology, 4(2), 157-165.
May 30
Attention and Neglect
Chapter 8
Supplemental: Posner, M., & Petersen, S. (1990). The
attention system of the human brain. Annual Review of
Neuroscience, 13, 25-42.
O’Connor
June 1
MIDTERM
June 6
Language and Aphasia
Chapter 9
Supplemental: Price, C. J. (2000). The anatomy of
language: contributions from functional neuroimaging.
Journal of Anatomy, 197, 335-359.
O’Connor
June 8
Memory and Amnesia
Chapter 10
Supplemental: Rosenbaum, R.S., Hohler, S., Schacter,
D.L., Moscovitch, M., Westmacott, R., Black, S.E., Cao,
F., Tulving, E. (2005). The case of K.C.: contributions of
memory-impaired person to memory theory.
Neuropsychologia, 43(7):989-1021.
Krpan
June 13
Executive Functions and
Emotion
Chapters 11 & 12
Supplemental: Mesulam, M. (2002). Human frontal lobes:
transcending the default mode through contingent
encoding. In D. T. Stuss & R. T. Knight (Eds.), Principles
of Frontal Lobe Function. New York: Oxford University
Press, 8-30.
Krpan
June 15
Aging and
Neurodegeneration
TERM PAPER DUE
Chapter 13, pp. 470-474; Chapter 14, pp. 485-506.
Supplemental: Cabeza, R., Anderson, N.D., Lacontore,
J.K., McIntosh, A.R. (2002). Aging gracefully:
compensatory brain activity in high-performing older
adults. Neuroimage, 17(3): 1394-402.
Krpan
June 20
Neuroplasticity &
Rehabilitation
Kolb, B. & Whishaw, I. Q. (2003). Fundamentals of
Human Neuropsychology. 5th Edition. New York: Worth
Publishers. Chapter 25, pp. 670-696.
Supplemental: Robertson, I. H. & Murre, J. M. J. (1999).
Rehabilitation of brain damage: brain plasticity and
principles of guided recovery. Psychological Bulletin, 125,
O’Connor &
Krpan
O’Connor
University of Toronto
PSY393 H Summer 2006
Cognitive Neuroscience
TR 3-6 Room BA 1230
544-575.
June 22
Course wrap-up and Review
O’Connor &
Krpan
University of Toronto
PSY393 H Summer 2006
Cognitive Neuroscience
TR 3-6 Room BA 1230
Term Paper: The purpose of this short paper is provide you with the opportunity to integrate and apply the
concepts covered in class and to exercise your developing skills in critical analysis of neurological symptom
presentations. You will achieve this by assessing one of the two case studies provided. We have provided you
with some suggested general readings that will help to focus your analysis. You are encouraged to draw upon
these readings but your research need not be limited to them. You will be required to summarize the relevant
information in the case, identify the syndromes, make inferences about brain localization and pathology, and
provide a diagnosis (including differential diagnoses). Your arguments should be well-supported and should
demonstrate that you have grasped the key concepts presented in the readings, textbook, and the classes.
Superfluous writing and unfounded statements will be penalized. Your paper will be graded on content (~70%)
and style (~30 %). The cases and the selection of general readings related to the cases will be posted on the
course website. The paper should be written in APA style and 800 to1000 words (4-5 pages) in length. The
paper is due June 15th at the beginning of the class. Papers submitted after 3:10 will be considered late. Late
penalty is 4% per day.