Introduction to Neuroscience: Behavioral Neuroscience   (2011-12)

 

 

Dr. Nachum Ulanovsky, Dr. Tali Kimchi, Dr. Rony Paz

 

 

Time:  The 2nd semester of 2011-2012.  Meetings take place on Wednesdays, between 9 – 12 am. 

Location:  FGS room C (unless indicated otherwise).

 

 

This course will introduce students to Behavioral Neuroscience, first by providing an in-depth introduction to behavior, and then focusing on two different approaches that are common in the field: One approach ("neuropsychological") is to study animals in artificial well-controlled tasks, the other ("neuroethological") approach utilizes the animal's natural behaviors.  We will introduce general aspects, and will contrast and compare these two approaches by focusing on several well-studied, classic example systems.

 

Part A:  Introduction to Brain and Behavior  (Kimchi, Ulanovsky)

  1. Introduction to Behavior (Kimchi).   (14/3/2012)     [PDF]
  2. Sensory ecology: evolutionary adaptations of animal sensory systems to their environment (Ulanovsky).   (21/3/2012)     [PDF]
  3. Hormonal mechanisms of behavior.  Sexual behaviors and their neural mechanisms (Kimchi).   (28/3/2012)     [PDF]
  4. Animal models of social disorders (Kimchi).   (4/4/2012)     [PDF]

 

Part B:  Neural mechanisms of Behavior – the Neuroethological approach  (Ulanovsky)

  1. Basic concepts: neuroscience and neuroethology.  Example system #1: Electrolocation in weakly-electric fish.   (18/4/2012)     [PDF]
  2. Example system #2: The bird song system: behavior, neuroanatomy, physiology, models.  (Guest lecture by: Dr. Liora Las)   (24/4/2012 – NOTE: Tuesday, 9-11, FGS Room C)     [PDF]
  3. Example system #3: Multisensory integration in the brain of the barn owl. (Guest lecture by: Dr. Yoram Gutfreund, Technion)   (2/5/2012)     [PDF]
  4. Example system #4: Echolocation in bats: behavior, principles of biosonar signal design, neural processing.   (9/5/2012)     [PDF]
  5. Example system #5: Neurobiology of spatial cognition.  Introduction to spatial memory, orientation and navigation: (i) Navigational strategies in different animals. (ii) Sensory mechanisms of navigation: vision, magnetic navigation, etc.  The navigation circuits in the mammalian brain: Place cells, grid cells, head-direction cells.   (16/5/2012)     [PDF]

 

Part C:  Neural mechanisms of Behavior – the Neuropsychological approach  (Paz)

  1. Introduction: Basic concepts, standard behavioral tasks.  Example system #6: The representation and production of voluntary movement in the brain. Computational models of artificial and natural movements.   (30/5/2012)    [PDF]
  2. Example system #7: Reinforcement Learning.  Reward and its representation in neural circuits.   (Guest lecture by: Dr. Genela Morris, Haifa University)   (6/6/2012)    [PDF]
  3. Example system #8: Fear and its representation in neural circuits.   (13/6/2012)    [PDF]

 

 

Course requirements: Final exam; 20% of the exam will be on research papers and book chapters on behavioral neuroscience, which will be distributed to the students as compulsory reading material.



Bibliography:

 

We will use three main textbooks in this course:


- Behavioral Neurobiology, Carew J. (Sinauer, 2000).

- Behavioral Neurobiology: An Integrative Approach, Zupanc G. (Oxford, 2004).

- Learning and behavior, Bouton M. (Sinauer, 2007).

 

Additional material for some of the lectures is covered in the following books:

 

- The computational neurobiology of reaching and pointing, Shadmehr R. and Wise S. (MIT, 2005).
- Sensory Ecology, Dusenbery D. (Freeman, 1992).

- An introduction to behavioral endocrinology, 3rd ed., Nelson R. (Sinauer, 2005).

- Neuroeconomics: Decision making and the brain, Glimcher P. et al. (Academic Press, 2008).