D527 - Graduate Neurobiology Syllabus
(subject to change)

| Course objective | About the lectures | Course lecturers | Textbooks | Exams |
| Grading policy | Laboratory | Outside work |



    
WEEK 1 INTRODUCTION TO NEUROBIOLOGY  LECTURER
INTRODUCTION/ OVERVIEW Dr. Kubek
 
OVERVIEW Dr. Kubek
 
LAB 1 Dr. Kubek
   GROSS BRAIN ANATOMY I

WEEK 2 NEUROCYTOLOGY/ NEUROCHEMISTRY I  LECTURER
NO CLASS MLK DAY
 
NEUROCYTOLOGY/PLASTICITY Dr. Lee
SELF QUIZ WEEK 1
NEUROTRANSMITTERS & NEUROPEPTIDES  Dr. Kubek
 
LAB 2 Dr. Kubek
  GROSS BRAIN ANATOMY II

WEEK 3 NEUROCYTOLOGY/NEUROCHEMISTRY II  LECTURER
NEURONAL INJURY & REPAIR Dr. Lee
 
APOPTOSIS/NECROSIS/GROWTH FACTORS Dr. Lee
 
LAB 3 Dr. Kubek
  INTERNAL BRAIN STRUCTURES

WEEK 4 SENSORY SYSTEMS I  LECTURER
EPICRITIC/PROTOPATHIC Dr. Kubek
 
AUDITORY/VESTIBULAR Dr. Wong
 
LAB 4 Dr. Kubek/
  SPINAL CORD M. Yard

WEEK 5 SENSORY SYSTEMS II  LECTURER
TASTE & OLFACTION Dr. Kubek
 
VISUAL SYSTEM I Dr. Suzuki
 
EXAM 1
  WEEKS 1-4
 
WEEK 6 SENSORY SYSTEMS III  LECTURER
VISUAL SYSTEM II Dr. Suzuki
 
TRIGEMINAL SYSTEM Dr. Kubek
 
LAB 5 Dr. Kubek
  BRAIN STEM

WEEK 7 MOTOR SYSTEMS I  LECTURER
REFLEXES Dr. Kubek
 
CST Dr. Kubek
 
LAB 6 Dr. Kubek
  MOTOR SYSTEMS: UMN & TRACTS

WEEK 8 MOTOR SYSTEMS II  LECTURER
BASAL GANGLIA Dr. Kubek
 
CEREBELLUM Dr. Lee
 
LAB 7 Dr. Kubek
  MOTOR SYSTEMS: BG & CBLM
   
  Lecture,  Laboratory & Exam Schedule
 
WEEK 9 VISCERAL  SYSTEMS I  LECTURER
MOTOR SYSTEM DISORDERS Dr. Wojcieszek
 
ANS/RETICULAR FORMATION Dr. Lee
 
EXAM 2
  WEEKS 5-9
 
WEEK 10 SPRING BREAK
 
WEEK 11 VISCERAL  SYSTEMS II  LECTURER
HYPOTHALAMUS Dr. Kubek
 
NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY Dr. Kubek
 
LAB 8 Dr. Kubek
  FOREBRAIN STRUCTURES & CIRCULATION

WEEK 12 VISCERAL  SYSTEMS III  LECTURER
NEUROIMMUNOLOGY Dr. Lee
 
LIMBIC SYSTEM Dr. Kubek
 
LAB 9 Dr. Kubek
  CENTRAL SOMATOSENSORY PATHWAYS

WEEK 13  COGNITIVE SYSTEMS I  LECTURER
LIMBIC SYSTEM FUNCTION Dr. Kubek
 
CORTEX & CORTICAL FUNCTION Dr. Kubek
 
EXAM 3
  WEEKS 9-13
 
WEEK 14  COGNITIVE SYSTEMS II  LECTURER
LEARNING & MEMORY Dr. Goodlett
RESEARCH REPORTS DUE Dr. Kubek
EPILEPSY Dr. Garg
 
LAB 10 Dr. Asconape
  HYPOTHALAMUS/LIMBIC SYSTEM I (TLE)

WEEK 15  COGNITIVE SYSTEMS III  LECTURER
PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS Dr. Shekhar
 
1SLEEP/SLEEP DISORDERS Dr. Markand
 
LAB 11 Dr. Kubek
  HYPOTHALAMUS/LIMBIC SYSTEM II

WEEK 16  COGNITIVE SYSTEMS IV  LECTURER
DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMERS Dr. Ghetti
 
VASCULAR DISORDERS/STROKE TBA
 
LAB 12 Dr.Lurito
  REVIEW OF CORTICAL VASCULATURE

WEEK 17  FINALS WEEK
FINAL EXAM
 EXAM 4 WEEKS 1- 16
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INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION
I. Schedule and Course Organization:  See above

II. Course Objective:

 The teaching staff would like to welcome you to your Graduate Neuroanatomy course! Neurobiology is a challenging but very rewarding scientific discipline that has many frontiers being investigated at an escalating pace. Graduate neurobiology is an integrated, multi-disciplinary functional neuroscience course, emphasizing the structural, biochemical and molecular mechanisms of the normal nervous system in relationship to neurological dysfunction and neurodegeneration.  A major goal of this course is to offer the student the essentials in the neurosciences and provide current research topics upon which a more comprehensive knowledge of experimental investigation can be based. Through the lectures, laboratories, clinical information, and outside reading, students will be asked to demonstrate:

 (1) A knowledge of core neurological information, particularly basic Neuroanatomy, and an understanding of the essential principles and state-of-the-art techniques necessary for application of this knowledge to basic research and elementary diagnosis;

 (2) An ability to synthesize basic information in sufficient depth to predict symptoms seen in specific lesions and disorders of the nervous system, and to predict the site and nature of specific lesions based upon the symptomatology;

 (3) An integrated systemic understanding of essential features of sensory, motor, visceral, and cognitive systems;

 (4) An understanding of the basic mechanisms of neurological disorders such as paralysis, spasticity, involuntary movement disorders, sensory lesions and dysfunction, limbic and cortical dysfunction, and other selected conditions.

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III. Lectures:

 The lectures are organized first as an orientation/overview of the nervous system and its function. This is followed by a block of lectures covering fundamental neurocytology/ and neurochemistry. The third component of the course is designed to investigate systemic neuroanatomy. This is the core of the course and will be presented as four major systems; sensory, motor, visceral and cognitive. However, the student should understand that this approach is for organization and didactic purposes only and that normal neurological function involves and requires integration of all systems.
 The laboratory emphasizes the gross structure of the nervous system and gross and microscopic cross-sectional neuroanatomy. The laboratories are organized for both regional and systemic examination. The students will be expected to recognize and comprehend the basic anatomical organization of the nervous system.
 A website for exchange of class and scientific information as well as general communication will be available exclusively for students registered for this course. The faculty welcomes Internet interaction through this technology.
 The ultimate goal of the course is to provide the student a sufficient background to feel comfortable with neurological applications of the basic sciences and to have a fundamental scientific basis for research, future diagnosis and treatment. Clinical information will be presented whenever and wherever it helps the student understand a particular region or system of the PNS or CNS.  The application of the basic sciences to clinical problems is an integral part of the course, and will be required information for both examinations and your future research/clinical work.

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IV. Lecturers:

 A.  Primary Anatomy Faculty

 Dr. Michael Kubek, Depts. of Anatomy & Cell Biology and Psychiatry, Course Director, MS Room 510, phone 274-8204 or email kubek@anatomy.iupui.edu. Secretary, Maxine Russ, Anatomy Office (MS 5035) for messages, 274-7494

 Dr. Wei-Hua (Wendy) Lee, Depts. of Pediatrics & Anatomy, Riley Research Room 208, phone 274-4715, email wlee@iupui.edu

 Mr. Mike Yard, Depts of Anatomy & Cell Biology and Psychiatry, Graduate Assistant, MS Room 510, phone 274-3832 or email myard@iupui.edu

 B.  Invited lecturers (subject to change)

 Dr. Jorge Asconape, Dept. of Neurology
 Dr. Jose Biller, Chairman, Dept. of Neurology
 Dr. Bhuwan Garg, Director of Pediatric Neurology, Dept. of Pediatrics
 Dr. Bernidino Ghetti, Director of Neuropathology, Dept. of Pathology
 Dr. Charles Goodlett, Dept. of Psychology
 Dr. Anantha Shekhar, Dept. of Psychiatry
 Dr. David Suzuki, Depts. of Opthamology & Anatomy
 Dr. Donald Wong, Depts. of Anatomy & ENT

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V. Textbooks:

 A. Required Textbook:

 Haines, Duane E., Fundamental Neuroscience, Churchill Livingston, New York, 1997, hardbound.  This is a recently published text with atlas figures that contains most of the neuroanatomy required for this course. The three color figures and diagrams are helpful to new students in the neurosciences. The book is organized into three sections; 1) Essential concepts; 2) Regional neuroanatomy; and 3) Systems neurobiology. The text gives examples of pathology and dysfunction but contains little neurochemistry or physiology.  Other material will be presented in class and be available in readings which should supplement the text. It will be a good resource for review as you progress in your graduate training.

 B. Secondary Textbooks (not required):

 Kandel, Eric, James H. Schwartz, and Thomas Jessel; Principles of Neural Science, 4th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2000.  This textbook is a physiologically oriented account of the nervous system.  It is not heavily oriented towards clinical applications, but does convey a lot of functional information.  This book is loaded with good diagrams and micrographs, and reads very comfortably.  It has rapidly become a favorite of medical neuroscience courses around the country. . The book is an excellent reference text for those wishing to pursue more in-depth information than can be provided in this course. Some of the material presented in class is derived from this text but it is not essential to purchase it. This book will be put on reserve in the library and is available in the bookstore.

 Zigmond, Michael, Floyd Bloom, Story Landis, James Roberts, and Larry Squire; Fundamental Neuroscience, 1st ed. Academic Press, 1999. This textbook has just been published and is similar in scope to Kandel and Schwartz. This is a multi-authored text with contributions by several well known neuroscientists. The book is an excellent reference text for those wishing to pursue more in-depth information than can be provided in this course. The book will be put on reserve in the library.

 C. Atlas:  (required)

 Haines, D. E., Neuroanatomy: An Atlas of Structures, Sections and Systems, 5th edition, Urban & Schwarzenberg, 2000. This is a spiral bound paperback companion atlas to the text. For those who are visually oriented this atlas and synopsis of functional components, tracts, pathways, and systems may be appealing. Good atlas, CT and MR scans have been updated in the 5th edition. If you have the 4th edition of the atlas please feel free to use it as the Figures used in the labes and lectures will be from this edition! The atlas text which accompanies the diagrams lacks substance as expected in an overview text of this kind.
 

 E. Review Books:

 Gilman, S. and S. Winans, Manter and Gatz's Essentials of Clinical Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology, 8th edition, F. A. Davis, 1992, paperback.  This review book is excellent and straightforward.  Clinical examples are abundant (Gilman is a neurologist), and summaries and overviews are used.  It is intended only as a review book, and is also useful for board exams.

 Fix, J.D. Board Review Series: Neuroanatomy, 2nd edition, Williams & Wilkins, 1998, paperback. This is a useful review of systems and has incorporated multiple choice type questions at the end of each chapter for self-assessment.

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VI.  Assessment:

One self-assessment quiz, four examinations and a research report are scheduled for graduate neurobiology.  All exams and the research paper are required of all students.  If you are unable to take an examination as scheduled, it is your responsibility to contact the course director (Dr. Kubek, 274-8204) or the Department of Anatomy office (274-7494) before the beginning of the exam.  Unexcused absences from an exam will result in a score of zero for that test. Make-up exams for excused absences will involve a written exam (and perhaps an oral exam as well) from the faculty members in the course.

Quiz 1: (1/2 hour) is scheduled for 19 Jan., from 2:00 to 2:30.  It will cover material from the Overview portion of the course (week 1), and is intended to assess your basic terminology and neuroanatomy.

EXAM 1: is scheduled for Friday 11 Feb. from 1-3 PM and will cover lecture material from weeks 1-4. It will not include laboratory material.

EXAM 2: is scheduled for Friday 10 Mar. from 1-3 PM and will cover lecture material from weeks 5-9. This exam will also include Laboratory material from labs 1-5.

EXAM 3: is scheduled for Friday 7 April from 1-3 PM and will cover material from weeks 9-13. This exam will also include Laboratory material from labs 1-9.

EXAM 4: is your Final Exam and is scheduled for Wednesday 3 May from 1-4 PM. This will be a comprehensive exam covering the entire course and the lecture material from weeks 14-16. It will also include laboratory materials from all labs.

Examinations can include short answer, multiple choice, true or false and matching type questions.  Following each exam, a key will be posted.  We will be available for discussion of reasoning behind specific questions and their answers. If you have a difference of opinion with our answer key, you may submit a written justification of your answer with appropriate references to the Course Director. He will distribute the response to the appropriate lecturer for evaluation. After review and discussion with the Director a decision will be made, in writing, concerning your appeal.  You will have one week after the key is posted to submit such a written request for re-evaluation.  After that time, points will not be changed. This system is intended to maximize fair assessment of reasonable alternative explanation, and to minimize misunderstanding or confusion between students and faculty.

RESEARCH REPORT: Each student will prepare a written report on a current topic in the neural sciences selected by the faculty.
More details will be given during the course. Assessment of the report will be accomplished by two faculty members familiar with the topic and will account for 20% of the final grade.

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VII.    Grading Policy:

Each exam will be graded according to a percentage score and a standardized score (mean of 50, standard deviation of 10).  No formal letter grade will be assigned to the individual exams; the course grade will be given according to the accumulative performance in the course. The grading system will include A, B, C, D, F, and I.  A letter grade of A will be reserved for students who have done exceptionally well (1 or more standard deviations above the mean of the class for the whole course, while the grade of B is reserved for above average performance (continuous performance above the mean of the class.  Graduate students should strive to attain the grade of B or above in this course. Plus and minus grades may be used for marginal scores.  The grade of I will be reserved for the exceptional circumstances where a student is passing yet is unable to complete all of the requirements of the course due to illness or other tragic circumstances. Students who are not performing satisfactorily on exams will be informed by letter so that help can be provided.

We feel that each student has the ability to understand the material and will be successful in the course. That is, achievement in the A or B range. We will try to give students below a B a realistic assessment of their performance as soon as we detect such a problem.  If there is any question in your mind about where your effort places you with regard to the potential for a specific grade in the course at any time during the semester, please contact the Course Director.  The faculty will be happy to meet with you, review your performance, and give you whatever suggestions or assistance we can.  It is important to begin remedial efforts or special study efforts as soon as a problem arises.  Try your utmost not to fall behind in the course because the lecture information requires continued understanding. Remember, you are studying only one totally integrated system, the nervous system, but in order to comprehend its overall function it is essential to study its various components.

 We rely on the Honor System in this course. Any form of cheating on examinations is simply incompatible with the moral conduct of the scientific profession. Cheating is totally unfair to yourself, your fellow classmates, and your future peers.

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VIII. Laboratory:

The laboratory is designed to help the student become familiar with the human nervous system in an informal self-discovery manner. Students are encouraged to interact with each other and the faculty and ask questions and seek further understanding of both lecture and lab materials at this time.

The lab is located on the first floor laboratories, room MS112. We have organized the laboratories around regional neuroanatomy. Initial sessions will examine the gross anatomy of the brain and spinal cord, including major subdivisions and landmarks, supporting structures, vasculature, and other structures. Each laboratory will have a handout for you to study.  Your atlas and textbooks will provide diagrams and photographs to assist you in the laboratory.  In addition, plastic-embedded specimens (frontal sections, horizontal CAT scan sections, midsagittal sections) are available for use in the lab.  These specimens are expensive and can be broken, so please use care. The remainder of the laboratory will involve the study of cross-sectional neuroanatomy.  Most of these structures will have been discussed in lecture; the atlas will be used to assist you in accurate localization of these structures.  We will offer introductory orientations to each laboratory with a slide presentation from your atlas.  We will orient you to our approach for studying cross-sections.  It will then be your responsibility to study and understand the material. Introductory laboratory orientations are intended to aid you in your cross-sectional work.  If you find a quicker or more advantageous approach or orientation to cross-sections, feel free to follow your own choices.

The laboratory material is an integral part of the course. Therefore, material emphasized during laboratory orientations should be integrated into your study and understanding from the rest of the course. Gross brain slides and Cross-section slides will be on specific exams.

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IX. Outside Work:

We highly recommend that you keep up with the course with the appropriate sections of the required text and atlas.  These resources can often clarify matters that you did not feel totally comfortable with from lecture.  Also, note that there are many good texts available besides those listed in this handout which may be of help to some of you. If you are looking for a particular type of information to help you with the course, let us know.  We have access to a wide range of source material.

X. Comment:

We sincerely hope you find our venture through the nervous system an adventure you can enjoy as well as learn. Each one of us in the Neural Sciences is enthusiastic about what we do. At best we hope this interest stimulates a career in one of the subdisciplines represented. We endeavor, at least, to impart the knowledge necessary for you to be familiar with basic nervous system functions.

 Study with enthusiasm!

The Graduate Neuroanatomy Faculty

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Revised 12/4/2003
JRS