Systems Neuroscience

 

Course Director: Valentin Dragoi, Ph.D.

This course is a graduate-level treatment of neural processing at a system level. The first section of the course will cover learning processes in invertebrates, including sensitization, habituation, classical conditioning, and associative learning, with an emphasis on cellular and molecular bases. This section will also include discussions on the genetic approaches to learning processes as well as computer simulations. The second section will emphasize learning and memory processes at sensory and motor levels, using different animal species. The final section of the course will deal with higher cognitive processes, including the neural bases of procedural versus declarative memory, spatial learning, working memory, and attention processes. The course comprises formal lectures and student presentations of original papers.

Grades will be based on three exams. Each will be problem-based, take-home, and open-note.

No textbooks are required. Students will be provided in advance with 2-3 original papers on a given topic.

Systems Neuroscience Syllabus

Systems Neuroscience Schedule


Systems Neuroscience Course Calendar

Block 1

DATE

TIME

TOPIC

INSTRUCTOR

Jan 10, 2023

10:45 – 12:45

Introduction to Systems Neuroscience

Valentin Dragoi

Jan 12, 2023

10:45 – 11:45

Brain anatomy

Patrick Dougherty

Jan 12, 2023

11:45 – 12:45

Ascending and descending pathways

Patrick Dougherty

Jan 17, 2023

10:45 – 11:45

Functional Imaging Techniques I 

Frostig   –   Logothetis   –   Grinvald

Shin Nagayama

Jan 17, 2023

11:45 – 12:45

Functional Imaging Techniques II

Shin Nagayama

Jan 19, 2023

10:45 – 11:45

Cell types and circuits

Michael Beierlein

Jan 19, 2023

11:45 – 12:45 Cortical circuits (feedforward circuits)

(same file as above)
Michael Beierlein

Jan 24, 2023

10:45 – 12:45

Cortical circuits (recurrent circuits, canonical microcircuits)

 Valentin Dragoi

Jan 26, 2023

10:45 – 11:45

Long-range intracortical connections

Valentin Dragoi

Jan 27, 2023

11:45 – 12:45

Inter-areal cortical connections (12.8mb PPT)

Ariana Andrei

Jan 31, 2023

10:45 – 11:45

Functional Architecture of the Cerebral Cortex (44.7mb PPT)

Ariana Andrei

Feb 2, 2023

10:45 – 12:45

EXAM 1

 

Block 2

DATE

TIME

TOPIC

INSTRUCTOR

Feb 7, 2023

10:45 – 11:45

Receptive Fields

Valentin Dragoi

Feb 7, 2023

11:45 – 12:45

Signal detection theory

 Harel Shouval

Feb 9, 2023

10:45 – 11:45

Cortical processing (non-linear properties of cortical responses)

Valentin Dragoi

Feb 9, 2023

11:45 – 12:45

Cortical processing: Extra-classical receptive field influences

Valentin Dragoi

Feb 14, 2023

10:45 – 11:45

Cortical processing: Top-down modulation

Valentin Dragoi

Feb 14, 2023

11:45 – 12:45

Multiple-electrode recording (multiple single units, LFPs, EEG), pt. 1

(Update 2/15/2023)

Valentin Dragoi

Feb 16, 2023

10:45 – 11:45

Multiple-electrode recording (multiple single units, LFPs, EEG), pt. 2

(Update 2/15/2023)

Valentin Dragoi

Feb 16, 2023

11:45 – 12:45

Neuronal synchronization

Harel Shouval

Feb 21, 2023

10:45 – 11:45

Signal and noise correlations

Valentin Dragoi

Feb 21, 2023

11:45 – 12:45

Introduction to population coding and decoding

Harel Shouval

Feb 23, 2023

10:45 – 11:45

Visual pathways

Valentin Dragoi

Feb 23, 2023

11:45 – 12:45

Auditory pathways

(Update 2/23/2023)

Valentin Dragoi

Feb 28, 2023

10:45 – 12:45

Somatic Sensory System

(Update 2/28/2023)

Purves Neuroscience 6th Edition

Patrick Dougherty

Mar 2, 2023

10:45 – 11:45

Motor Systems I

(Update 3/01/2023)

Michael Beierlein

Mar 2, 2023

11:45 – 12:45

Motor Systems II

(Update 3/01/2023)

Michael Beierlein

Mar 7, 2023

10:45 – 11:45

Olfactory system

Shin Nagayama

Mar 7, 2023

11:45 – 12:45

Association cortex (overview: parietal, temporal, prefrontal, etc.)

Valentin Dragoi

Mar 9, 2023

10:45 – 11:45

Association cortex (overview: parietal, temporal, prefrontal, etc.)

Valentin Dragoi

Mar 9, 2023

11:45 – 12:45

Sensory motor integration (eye movements, motor planning)

Valentin Dragoi

Mar 21, 2023

10:45 – 12:45

Space representation (hippocampus, entorhinal cortex)

Hippo HS

Harel Shouval

Mar 23, 2023

11:45 – 12:45

Representation of reward

Reward Signals

Harel Shouval

Mar 28, 2023

10:45 – 12:45

EXAM 2

 

Block 3

DATE

TIME

TOPIC

INSTRUCTOR

Mar 30, 2023

10:45 – 11:45

Synaptic Plasticity

John Byrne

Mar 30, 2023

11:45 – 12:45

Consequences of Synaptic Plasticity

Harel Shouval

Apr 4, 2023 10:45 – 11:45

Consequences of Synaptic Plasticity

Harel Shouval

Apr 4, 2023

11:45 – 12:45

Adaptation-induced plasticity

Valentin Dragoi

Apr 6, 2023

10:45 – 12:45

Learning-induced plasticity

Valentin Dragoi

Apr 11, 2023 10:45 – 12:45 Recovery from Neural Injury (Update 27 Apr 23)

Ariana Andrei

Apr 13, 2023 10:45 – 11:45 Impact of Brain State on Neural Responses

Valentin Dragoi

Apr 13, 2023 11:45 – 12:45 Intro to Sleep  |  Intro to Circadian 

Konopka  |  Reinke  |  Scamell  |  Rijo-Ferreira

Hardin  |  Yoo  |  Schaefer  |  A Time for Metabolism & Hormones

Russel Milton

Apr 18, 2023 10:45 – 11:45 Intro to Sleep  |  Intro to Circadian

Konopka  |  Reinke  |  Scamell  |  Rijo-Ferreira

Hardin  |  Yoo  |  Schaefer  |  A Time for Metabolism & Hormones

Russel Milton

Apr 18, 2023 11:45 – 12:45 Neural Circuits of Stress (Updated 17 Apr 23)

Malave | Meyers | Herman | McEwan

Fabricio H. Do Monte

Apr 20, 2023 10:45 – 12:45 Fear and Anxiety (Updated 20 Apr 23)

Tovote Calhoun  |  Daviu  |  Alvares  |  Do Monte et al

Additional Reading

Fabricio H. Do Monte

Apr 25, 2023 10:45 – 12:45 Neural Circuits of Reward (Updated 20 Apr 23)

Salgado Castro Liu

Additional Reading

Fabricio H. Do Monte

Apr 27, 2023

10:45-12:45

Exam 3

May 2, 2023

10:45-12:45

Group Presentations

May the 4th B w/U, 2023

10:45-12:45

Conclusions

Valentin Dragoi