Psychology & Brain Sciences 304 - Brain,Mind&Behavior

The brain and its relation to behavior. Elements of the brain and their circuits, the major functions of the brain, how they operate. How neuroscientists study the brain and nervous system. Some major brain diseases and disorders; how they may be treated. Prerequisite: introductory life science course (biology, psychology, biochemistry, etc.) or consent of instructor.

This course is open to PSYCH majors only. PSYCH 100 or 110 and 330 This course will examine how the human mind arises from its biological underpinnings in the brain. How does the brain enable us to conjure a vivid memory of our first date, recognize the face of an old friend, or take notes during class? We will learn how these cognitive functions are supported by neural mechanisms ranging from the firing of a single neuron to the complex interactions that emerge when millions of neurons are connected together into circuits. We will learn about the experimental methods used by cognitive neuroscientists to measure and understand these mechanisms in human subjects. Finally, we will study some of the ways in which these functions can be disrupted by disease or brain damage.