Comm Sciences & Disorders: Intro Cognitive Neuroscience

This course introduces students to the organization, structures and functions of the human central nervous system. Higher cognitive and linguistic behaviors are emphasized. Prerequisite: Human Biology course such as one of the following: BIOL 1105, BIOL 1155, BCOR 1400, BCOR 1450, or ANPS 1190.

Prerequisites: BIOL 1155 or a Human Biology course; CSD Junior and senior students only; Open to NSCI students, as well as others with permission; Open to Degree and PACE students

This course introduces students to the organization, structures, and functions of the human central nervous system. Higher cognitive and linguistic behaviors are emphasized. This course provides a broad introduction to the topic and is designed to meet the needs of 3rd & 4th year students in Communication Sciences and Disorders and other related disciplines. This course is also appropriate for 1st year students in the undergraduate neuroscience program. The course is split into three modules designed to provide a foundation in basic neuroanatomy and physiology, techniques and methodologies of measurement, and specific topics in cognitive neuroscience. • Module 1 – Fundamentals of anatomy and physiology of the central nervous system • Module 2 – Overview of techniques and methodologies in cognitive neuroscience • Module 3 – Focus on specific topics in cognitive neuroscience

This course combines lecture and discussion formats with in-class activities and learning opportunities. Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours a week on coursework outside of class. This course is meant to provide a very brief overview of selected topics in cognitive neuroscience. Please understand that entire courses can be taught on any one of these topics, so we will not be able to dive very deeply into any one area. I do not expect you to find all of them equally fascinating; but it is my hope that at least one of them will grab you. I have structured the course to allow you to find that topic that grabs you, and/or the general area that interests you (e.g., research, clinical applications, etc.) and explore it through your choice of assignments. The skills focused on and the structure of assignments in this course are designed to mimic that of real-world practice in graduate school and research-related disciplines. At the end of this course, students will be able to: 1) Identify and describe the anatomy, physiology, and functional architecture of the human central nervous system with an emphasis on the neural substrates related to perceptual, cognitive, and communicative processes (e.g., vision, hearing, language, executive functions, social cognition). 2) Understand and evaluate different methods and techniques used in the scientific study of cognitive neuroscience 3) Understand and explain selected topics in cognitive neuroscience, specifically: vision, hearing, attention, executive control, learning and memory, language, emotion, and social cognition

Grading for this course will be out of a total of 250 points. Of these, up to 100 points can be earned in the weekly quizzes (20 quizzes at 5 points each). These at-home quizzes will be administered through Brightspace. Each quiz will consist of 5 multiple-choice questions (1 point each) that will cover the readings that are assigned for homework. Quizzes will be due before the start of each class period. Any quizzes that are unsubmitted at the beginning of class will be given a score of zero. For the remaining 150 points, this course will use an “a la carte” grading system in which you can choose what types of assignments are most interesting to you. Quizzes: 20 @ 5 points each = 100 total A la carte points: 150 total Total points = 250 More information about each assignment is available on Brightspace. You must choose at least one thing from each module, and your total number of points must total (but not exceed 150) points. No more than 2 exams are permitted. You will have until the third week of class to sign up for your choices. Once assignments are chosen, they must be approved by me before finalizing. We will have time in class to discuss options together, both as a group and one-on-one; you are also encouraged to attend my office hours if you are having trouble deciding what to sign up for, and we can go through the options together. Each assignment option is designed to fit within a general topic area, such as hands-on neuroscience, research, or clinical applications. Brief descriptions of each assignment are provided below; more information is also available in the assignment documents on Brightspace (under the Assignments menu item). We will have the option to practice each type of exercise in class before assignments are due.