70004 - Affective and Cognitive Neurosciences

Academic Year 2012/2013

  • Moduli: Giuseppe Di Pellegrino (Modulo 1) Andrea Serino (Modulo 2)
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
  • Campus: Cesena
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Neurosciences and neuro-psychological rehabilitation (cod. 0989)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student knows the state-of-art human and animal research that uses neuroscience techniques to understand the cognitive and emotional aspects of the human mind and human behaviour

Course contents

The course is designed to provide advanced knowledge of the neural basis and functional mechanisms of human behaviour, and affective and cognitive processes, and the alteration of these processes in patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders, drawing on both theoretical, methodological and empirical contributions of current literature.

Special attention will be devoted to neuroanatomical circuits and mechanisms of neurochemical modulation, integrating different methodological approaches: behavioural, neurophysiological, psychopharmacological, computational and neuroimaging.

Specific contents:

Neural bases of attention

Neural bases of (multi)sensori-motor processes

Neural bases of space and body representation

Neural bases of self-consciousness

Brain mechanisms of cognitive and affective regulation of behavior

Neurophysiology of reward in animals and humans

Neural substrate of economic and moral decision-making

Neurobiology of anxiety and depression

Neuroscience perspectives on schizophrenia

Neuroscience of addiction

Readings/Bibliography

Scientific papers and other course materials for this course will be made available at the course website. These readings are mandatory to pass the final exam.

Suggested (not compulsory) readings: Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of the Mind by Michael S. Gazzaniga, Richard B. Ivry e George R. Mangun (mar. 2009)

Teaching methods

Each class meeting will include introductory reviews by faculty, student seminars based on recent literature, and final discussions. Thus, an active role in discussion is expected. Students are expected to read the assigned readings, and to come to class ready to participate with questions and a scientifically critical attitude

Assessment methods

Written exam with open-ended questions, as well as oral exam

Teaching tools

Slides(PowerPoint)

Office hours

See the website of Giuseppe Di Pellegrino

See the website of Andrea Serino