84301 - Physiology of Musculoskeletal System

Learning outcomes

Understand the importance of the integration of physiological processes from the molecular level to complex systems, with due attention to sex differences. Describe the mechanisms and regulation of muscle function. Describe the neurophysiology of motor function, from spinal reflexes to cerebral cortical control.

Course contents

Skeletal muscle
Structure of skeletal-muscle cell. Molecular mechanism of the contraction. Excitation-contraction coupling. Control of skeletal muscle contraction. Neuromuscular synaptic transmission.

Spinal Reflexes

Local spinal circuits. Higher control of spinal reflexes. Characteristic alterations in reflex response and muscle tone after damage of central nervous system.

Locomotion

The motor unit and muscle action. Sequences of muscle contractions . Central pattern generators. Descending pathways.

Voluntary control of movement

The functional organization of movement: cortical maps of the body. The primary motor cortex. The corticospinal tract.

The organization and planning of movement

Premotor cortex and movement preparation. Posterior parietal cortex and its role in movement control.

The control of gaze

The extraocular muscles. Types of ocular movements and their neural control.

Readings/Bibliography

Requested textbooks:

Berne Levy-Physiology by Koeppen and Stanton, VII ed. 2018, Elsevier

Kandel E.R. et al., Principles of Neural Science, V ed, 2013 McGraw-Hill

Guyton & Hall, textbook of Medical Physiology, XIII ed, 2016, Elsevier

Boron and Pulpaep, Medical Physiology, II ed, 2012, Elsevier

The textbooks are available in UNIBO libraries.

Teaching methods

The course is delivered through classroom lectures and distance/supplementary teaching activities.

Classroom lectures are supported by PowerPoint presentations and interactive teaching methods (e.g., Kahoot, Wooclap, and similar digital tools) acquired through the University of Bologna's teaching and learning laboratories. These approaches are intended to enhance interaction among students and between students and the instructor. The lectures are designed to promote connections among the different topics covered in the course and to foster an integrated understanding of physiological processes.

Classroom teaching is complemented by distance/supplementary learning activities consisting of multimedia presentations and digital teaching materials prepared by the instructors.

Attendance at teaching activities is mandatory. Students must attend at least 60% of the scheduled teaching activities in order to be admitted to the final examination. For Integrated Courses (ICs), the 60% attendance requirement applies to the total number of teaching hours of the entire Integrated Course. Students who do not meet the minimum attendance requirement will not be admitted to the final examination and will be required to attend the course again in the following academic year.

The instructors may authorize excused absences upon presentation of appropriate supporting documentation in cases of illness or other serious circumstances. Excused absences are not counted when calculating compliance with the minimum attendance requirement.

Assessment methods

The final examination consists of an oral test in which the student will discuss mainly two different topics taken from the program. As part of the interview, questions will also be asked to evaluate the depth of the knowledge on the two topics and on other topics of the program, the critical thinking ability that links together different aspects of knowledge and the achievement of a comprehensive understanding of the topics addressed in class.

The exam will be considered passed if the student has demonstrated sufficient knowledge in each topic.

The student’s ability to move across the various topics of the Physiology program will be also evaluated. The student’s achievement of a comprehensive view of the topics addressed in class, together with their critical thought, the ability to make associations, the demonstration of rich and intelligible expression and use of specialist’s language will be evaluated with scores of excellence.

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) [x-webdoc://B5D3DC9B-72E3-488A-92D8-D6D477D10B64/(https:/site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students)] as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

Classroom lectures will be delivered through PowerPoint presentations. The teaching materials included in the slides (e.g., figures, diagrams, and photographs) will be drawn primarily from the recommended textbooks.

To prepare for the examination, students are strongly encouraged to attend lectures regularly and actively, study the recommended textbook(s), and make use of both their lecture notes and the teaching materials provided by the instructor through the University's online learning platform.

Distance and supplementary teaching activities consist of multimedia presentations and digital learning materials prepared by the instructors. The iconographic and textual materials used during the course are reserved exclusively for students enrolled in the course and are accessible only upon authentication with their institutional University credentials via the University of Bologna's Virtuale platform (https://virtuale.unibo.it/ ). The platform serves as a supporting resource for independent study and for the further exploration of the topics covered during the course.

Links to further information

https://site.unibo.it/fattori-lab/en

Office hours

See the website of Patrizia Fattori