PSYS 215- Physiological Psychology Fall 2015 Course Syllabus

PSYS 215- Physiological Psychology
Fall 2015 Course Syllabus
Lectures
CRN: 95971
Monday and Wednesday
5:05-6:20 pm, Lafayette Hall Room L111
Labs
Lab Section A01- CRN: 95172, Wednesday 9:30-12:30
Lab Section A02- CRN: 95173, Thursday 1:00-4:00
Dewey Hall Room 126
Instructor:
Nathan J. Jebbett, Ph.D.
Office: Dewey Hall 304
Office Phone: 802.656.1772
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 1:30-4:00 pm or by appointment
Email is the best way to reach me, I will do my best to respond to you ASAP or at
least with in 24 hours.
Teaching Assistant (available by appointment): Olivia Miles
Wednesday and Thursday labs
Email: [email protected] Laboratory Technician (available by appointment):
Jeremy Arenos
Office: Dewey Hall 126
Email: [email protected]
Course Description:
This course will examine the structure and function of the mammalian
nervous system, focusing on several topics related to behavioral neuroscience,
as well as past and current methodologies in the field. The course will also
include weekly individual laboratory experience.
The broad goal of this course is to provide you with an advanced
foundation in basic principles of the nervous system, and an understanding of
sensory and motor systems from the level of individual neurons to cortical
systems and ultimately behavior. We will also explore other topics associated
with emotion, motivation and sleep. This foundation will help to prepare you for
further study in the neurosciences, including graduate school in biobehavioral
psychology or neuroscience, or for medical school.
Physiological Psychology Syllabus, page 1 Prerequisites:
Psychology Research Methods I (PSYC 109) and Biopsychology (PSYC 121) or
Exploring Neuroscience (NSCI 110)
Course Goals:
Factual knowledge and scientific vocabulary. We will test your knowledge of
scientific vocabulary, structures and their function on exams that will include
questions in a variety of formats (including multiple choice, short answer, fill in
the blank, essay, etc.).
Conceptual understanding. Some of our exam questions will also test your
understanding of concepts in the class. After introducing you to a concept, we
may ask you to think about examples of that concept from material you have
learned previously in the course.
Solving problems. We will also require you to apply the information that you
have learned in a new or different way to show that you can solve problems. For
example, we may give you hypothetical scientific questions on an exam, and ask
you to determine the best way to answer those questions given the tools we have
discussed in class.
Textbook:
Carlson, N.R. (2013). Physiology of Behavior (11th Edition). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Supplemental Readings:
Articles are available on Blackboard and/or will be distributed during class
Swanson, L.W. (2007) Quest for the basic plan of nervous system circuitry. Brain
Research Reviews, 55, 356-372.
Bernstein, J.G., & Boyden, E.S. (2011) Optogenetic tools for analyzing the neural
circuits of behavior. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(12), 592-600.
Duman, R.S., & Aghajanian, G.K. (2012) Synaptic dysfunction in depression:
Potential therapeutic targets. Science, 338, 68-72.
Teegarden, S.L., & Bale, T.L. (2007) Decreases in dietary preference produce
increased emotionality and risk for dietary relapse. Biological Psychiatry, 61, 10211029.
Vessel, E.A., Starr, G.G., & Rubin, N. (2012) The brain on art: Intense aesthetic
experience activates the default mode network. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6
(article 66), 1-17.
Physiological Psychology Syllabus, page 2 Watkins, L.R., Hutchinson, M.R., Rice, K.C., & Maier, S.F. (2009) The “toll” of opioidinduced glial activation: Improving the clinical efficacy of opioids by targeting glia.
Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 30(11), 581-591.
Ledoux, J.E. (2014) Coming to terms with fear. Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, 111(8), 2871-2878.
Shansky, R.M., Hamo, C., Hof, P.R., Lou, W., McEwan, B.S., & Morrison, J.H.
(2010) Estrogen promotes stress sensitivity in a prefrontal cortex-amygdala
pathway. Cerebral Cortex, 20, 2560-2567.
Medina, J.F. (2011) The multiple roles of Purkinje cells in sensori-motor calibration:
To predict, teach and command. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 21, 616-622.
Peters, J., Dieppa-Perea, L.M., Melendez, L.M., & Quirk, G.J. (2010) Induction of
fear extinction with hippocampal-infralimbic BDNF. Science, 328, 1288-1290.
Frank, M.G., & Cantera, R. (2014) Sleep, clocks, and synaptic plasticity. Trends in
Neurosciences, in press.
***READING LIST SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Course Outline: LABS with ** have reports associated with them
Date Topic Textbook Supplemental Lab Reading 8/31 Introduction Review Ch. 1 Get “Lab Materials” listed on Blackboard Swanson, 2007 9/14 Neurophysiology Pg. 27-­‐40, 131-­‐
145 Pg. 41-­‐50, 146-­‐
155 9/16 Neurochemistry 9/21 Neurochemistry (PAPER TOPIC DUE) 9/23 Neuropharmacology 9/28 Neuropharmacology Pg. 51-­‐65, 156-­‐
162 Pg. 101-­‐110, 121-­‐122 Bernstein and Boyden, 2011 9/30 EXAM 1 Pg. 248-­‐253, Pg. 403-­‐414 Ch. 6 Teegarden and Bale, 2007 Vessel et al., 2012 9/2 Review of the Nervous System 9/7 Review of the Nervous System 9/9 Neurophysiology 10/5 Sensory Processing: Introduction 10/7 Sensory Processing: Olfaction and Feeding 10/12 Sensory Processing: Vision (BIBLIO DUE) 10/14 Sensory Processing: Audition Duman and Aghajania, 2012 Sheep Brain Dissection & Biopac Tutorial **Electro-­‐
encephalogram** (WRITE UP REQUIRED) **Galvanic Skin Response and Polygraph** Electronic Instrumentation Introduction to Crayfish Motoneuron Physiological Psychology Syllabus, page 3 10/19 Sensory Processing: Somatosensation and Pain 10/21 Emotion: Introduction Pg. 227-­‐243 **Crayfish Motoneuron** Ch. 11 Watkins et al., 2009 10/26 Emotion: Disorders (PAPER SECTION DUE) 10/28 Special Topic: Stress Pg. 586-­‐592 Ledoux, 2014 **Compound Action Potential** Pg. 601-­‐612 11/2 Special Topic: Reward and Addiction 11/4 EXAM 2 Shansky et al., 2010 11/9 Movement Introduction Ch. 8 11/11 Movement Cerebellum Medina, 2011 **Cockroach Touch Receptor** 11/16 Movement: Basal Ganglia 11/18 Learning and Memory Ch. 13 11/30 Learning and Memory Peters et al., 2010 Sensory Motor Learning 12/2 Sleep and Biological Rhythms Ch. 9 (PAPER DUE) 12/7 Sleep and Biological Rhythms Frank and Cantera, 2014 12/9 Special Topic: TBA 12/15 EXAM 3 Electrooculogram & Cow Eye Dissection 2 hours, TBA Evaluation and Grading:
Exam 1
Exam 2
Exam 3 (cumulative)
Participation (Blackboard assignments and attendance)
Lab reports (4)
Literature Review paper
100 points
100 points
100 points
60 points
140 points (35 points each)
150 points
650 points
Percentage to Grades:
94 - 100 = A
90 - 93.9 = A87 - 89.9 = B+
84 - 86.9 = B
80 - 83.9 = B77 - 79.9 = C+
74 - 76.9 = C
70 - 73.9 = C67 - 69.9 = D+
64 - 66.9 = D
60 - 63.9 = D<60 = F
Exams: Make-up exams must be arranged with the instructor at least 48 hours prior to the
exam. In the event of an illness, make-up exams will be administered only if a medical
excuse is provided by the Dean’s office. If you have a medical condition that may interfere
with taking an exam sometime in the semester, you must contact me in the first week of class to
discuss it.
If it is to your benefit (increases your grade), the cumulative final exam can be used to
replace the lowest of your two mid-semester exam grades.
Physiological Psychology Syllabus, page 4 Blackboard information: I will be using Blackboard to manage the course. Head to:
bb.uvm.edu and log in using your UVM NetID and password (or link to it through myUVM). The
syllabus and basic information regarding the semester plan will be available online. In addition,
the supplemental readings and their associated assignments, the lab manual, and other course
materials will be available online.
Literature Review Paper: You will be required to write a literature review on a topic related to
physiological psychology (behavioral neuroscience; your topic must have a behavioral
component). You will be writing your paper in stages over the course of the semester, with
each assignment receiving a grade (see below).
Each assignment is due by 5 pm on the designated day. Please submit your assignment
on Blackboard as an MS Word doc or docx (no other formats please, including pdf). I will
comment on it in MS Word and email it back to you. For each day late (including weekend
days; note that 5:01 pm on the designated day will be considered 1 day late), there will be a
25% reduction in the total possible points you can earn for that assignment.
1. Topic statement (10 pts) – One or more sentences describing what your topic is. The more
detailed and focused, the more points will be awarded.
For this part of the assignment, you may revise and resubmit within 1 week of receiving
my comments. If your revision is acceptable, I will give you back half of any lost points.
(Due 9/21)
2. Bibliography, organized by “theme” (20 pts) – You will be required to have at least 10
sources from the primary literature (no more than 1 review paper; textbooks do not count in
your total) from the last 15 years, and these should be listed in APA format, with at least 2
sentences, one sentence summarizing what the paper is about and one sentence connecting it
to your topic and/or other papers you are using.
These sources should be grouped by “theme”; I would like you to identify at least 3 themes in
your topic, with each theme being as specific as possible. For example, if you choose to write
on “cerebellar involvement in movement”, your 3 themes might be: (1) Cerebellar anatomy,
including connections with motor cortex; (2) Cerebellar physiology (e.g., firing patterns of
Purkinje cells) during one or more well-studied forms of movement (e.g., the vestibulo-ocular
reflex); (3) The effects of cerebellar lesions on these movements. Notice that this is the way
that the textbook structures the chapter on the cerebellum (chapter 19). Please include the
first page of each paper that is included in your bibliography.
(Due 10/12)
3. Beginning of your paper (20 pts) – For this part of the assignment, you will write the first 2
pages of your final paper. Your score for this assignment is based on your ability to
synthesize your sources into coherent paragraphs, as well as proper formatting (APA format; 11
pt Arial font, double-spaced, 1” margins all-around – Trust me, I will be checking this!).
(Due 10/26)
4. Final paper (100 pts) – 8-10 page paper, and an additional title page and reference
page(s). You may include figures, but you must have at least 8 pages of text. Remember to
use APA format, 11 pt Arial font, double-spacing, and 1” margins all around.
(Due 12/2)
Graduate Credit: Graduate students will be required to write a 15 page Literature Review
paper, with at least 15 sources, following the instructions above.
Physiological Psychology Syllabus, page 5 Laboratory: You must attend the lab section that you are registered for. The laboratories
involve hands-on experience with a number of techniques in physiological psychology. More
information will be provided in the first meeting of the laboratory. A complete lab manual is
available on the Blackboard course site under “Labs”.
Lab 1: Sheep Brain Dissection and Biopac Tutorial
Lab 2**: Electroencephalogram**
Lab 3: Galvanic Skin Response and Polygraph
Lab 4**: Electronic Instrumentation in the Laboratory**
Lab 5: Introduction to Crayfish Motoneuron
Lab 6: Crayfish Motoneuron
Lab 7: Compound Action Potential
Lab 8: Electrooculogram and Cow Eye Dissection
Lab 9: Cockroach Touch Receptor
Lab 10: Sensory Motor Learning
**You must attend these labs. A LAB REPORT FOR LAB 2 (Electroencephalogram) IS
MANDATORY!!!!! The reason for this is to get everyone on track right away regarding how to
write a proper lab report.
Lab reports are required for 3 labs chosen from the other 4 labs in bold type. Each of the 4 lab
reports you turn in will be worth up to 35 points. You must attend the lab that you write a report
for.
Any data needed for writing the lab reports will be posted on the Blackboard site by Friday at 5
pm for that week’s lab. The lab report will be due by the following Friday at 5 pm. Each
day late (including weekend days) will be penalized 5 points.
PLEASE NOTE: Please turn in assignments either in person to the TA of your lab section or put
it in the drop box for your lab section outside of the Psychology Main Office (Dewey 248). The
drop boxes are large gray boxes mounted to the wall outside of the Main Office door. Make
sure you put your report in the correct drop box!!
Lab attendance is very important! You are allowed to miss 1 of the 10 labs (except Labs 2 &
4, which you must attend) with no penalty. Thereafter, you will lose 10 points for each lab
missed.
Religious Holidays:
If your religious observance will affect your attendance, you should submit to me,
in writing, your documented religious holiday schedule for the semester by the
end of the second week of classes. I will permit students who miss work for the
purpose of religious observance to make up this work in a timely fashion.
Special Needs:
If you are a student with a documented disability (www.uvm.edu/access or
802.656.7753) and wish to request a reasonable accommodation, please contact
me the first week of class. Please keep in mind that reasonable accommodations
(e.g. extra exam time, etc.) cannot be provided on assignments that are past
due.
Health Issues and Make-up policy:
Physiological Psychology Syllabus, page 6 If a medical or bereavement -related issue will prevent you from taking an exam
or giving a presentation I must be notified 48-hours in advance and receive
proper documentation from the Student Health Center or Dean’s Office.
Exceptions will be granted if a sudden health or personal issue arises and proper
documentation is provided through the Student Health Center or Dean’s office
within the following 48 hours. Make-ups will be administered ONLY after an
excuse is provided by the Student Health Center or Dean’s office. Personal travel
and work for other classes do not constitute legitimate excuses, sorry!
Academic integrity and Plagiarism: Plagiarism as defined by UVM Student Policies
(www.uvm.edu/~uvmppg/ppg/student/acadintegrity.pdf) will not be tolerated.
Intentionally and directly copying passages from text will result in no credit being
awarded, no make-up opportunities given, and student(s) will be reported for
disciplinary action. Unintentional failure to properly attribute sources will result in
a 10% deduction in the grade per mistake, provided that students take the
opportunity to correct the mistake(s). If the mistake(s) are not corrected within
one-week, no credit will be given. Cheating will also not be tolerated. Students
that cheat or collude on solo assignments or exams will automatically receive a
zero on the assignment in question and will be referred to the University for
disciplinary action, without exception.
Physiological Psychology Syllabus, page 7