78450 - Neurophysiology

Course contents

Cellular physiology

Diffusion and transport across the plasma membrane

Composition of intracellular and extracellular compartments. Homeostasis. Functional features of the plasma membrane. Mechanisms of diffusion and transport across the plasma membrane. Osmosis. Plasma membrane ion channels. Membrane receptors.

Ionic equilibria and membrane potentials

Ion fluxes and ion equilibria. Physicochemical bases of the resting membrane potential. Role of the sodium-potassium pump. Graded potentials. Pacemaker activity. Action potential: origin and propagation in myelinated and unmyelinated axons.

Synaptic transmission

Chemical and electrical synapses. Presynaptic and postsynaptic mechanisms of chemical transmission. Postsynaptic excitatory and inhibitory potentials. Neurotransmitters: synthesis, release, interaction with membrane receptors, inactivation.

Sensory receptors

Mechanisms of signal transduction. Classification of sensory receptors. Primary sensory coding: type of stimulus, intensity, duration and localization.

Skeletal muscle cell

Structure of the skeletal muscle cell. Neuromuscular synaptic transmission. Excitation-contraction coupling. Molecular mechanism of contraction. Isotonic and isometric contraction. Graduation of strength in the muscle contraction. Skeletal muscle cell metabolism. Functional characteristics of oxidative and glycolytic skeletal muscle cells. Motor units. Muscular hypotrophy and hypertrophy. Effects of physical training.

Smooth muscle cell

Structure of the smooth muscle cell. Single-unit and multi-unit smooth muscles. Molecular mechanisms and control of contraction. Pacemaker activity and neural, hormonal, mechanical and chemical modulation of single-unit smooth muscles contraction.

 

Functional organization of the nervous system

Principal functional elements of the nervous system. Classification of neurons, nerve fibers and glial cells. Functional organization of the central and peripheral nervous system. Blood-brain barrier. Somatic and visceral sensory-motor integration.

 

Sensory systems

General principles of sensory physiology. Functional organization of the sensory systems. Somatosensory (touch, proprioception, interoception, thermoception, pain), visual, auditory, vestibular, gustatory and olfactory systems: adequate stimuli, specific receptors, mechanisms of signal transduction, ascending neural pathways, cortical representation and elaboration. Endogenous mechanisms of pain modulation.

 

Somatic motor nervous system

Functional organization of the somatic motor nervous system. Mechanisms of modulation of muscular strength.

Reflex movements

Reflex arcs. Spinal reflexes: stretch reflex, tendon reflex, flexor reflex, crossed extensor reflex. Central control of reflex responses.

Postural control and locomotion

Postural control: maintaining the upright posture with respect to gravity, postural adjustments that anticipate imbalances caused by voluntary movements, adaptation to environmental conditions; nervous structures involved. Locomotion: origin of the locomotor rhythm, descending control from higher structures and integration with ascending sensory information; nervous structures involved.

Voluntary movements

Motivation, ideation, planning and execution of voluntary movements. Role of association and motor cortical areas, cerebellum, basal nuclei, thalamus, brainstem nuclei and sensory input. Somatotopic representation of the skeletal muscles in the primary motor cortex. Functional organization of the descending motor pathways. Motor learning.

 

Autonomic nervous system

Functional organization of the autonomic nervous system: sympathetic, parasympathetic and enteric sections. Pre- and post-ganglionic neurotransmitters. Nicotinic and muscarinic cholinergic receptors. Alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors. Effects of sympathetic and parasympathetic stimulation on different organs. Autonomic reflexes.

 

Higher functions of the nervous system

Association areas of the cerebral cortex. Speech nervous centers. Limbic system. Emotions, mood, vigilance, attention, function of nervous ascending pathways. Electroencephalography, wake-sleep cycle. Learning, memory, synaptic plasticity.

 

Neuroendocrine integrated functions and physiological functions of hormones

General principles of hormonal physiology. Mechanisms of hormonal action. Mechanisms of control of hormonal secretion. Role of hypothalamus and pituitary gland on the control of hormonal secretion. Physiological functions of pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal and pancreatic hormones.

Readings/Bibliography

Suggested booktext: E. Carbone, G. Aicardi, E. Maggi - Fisiologia: dalle molecole ai sistemi integrati, EdiSES, 2018.

Office hours

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