84345 - Physiology of Nervous System and Sensory Organs

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 organization and functional properties of the central nervous system, somatic sensory system, special senses, autonomic nervous system and the adrenal medulla. Describe the nervous regulation of different behavioural states and their circadian organization.,Understand the importance of the integration of physiological processes from the molecular level to complex systems, with due attention to sex differences. Describe the organization and functional properties of the central nervous system, somatic sensory system, special senses, autonomic nervous system and the adrenal medulla. Describe the nervous regulation of different behavioural states and their circadian organization.

Course contents

Sensory system

Neural coding of sensations. Organization of somatosensory pathways of the body and face. Cerebral somatosensory areas. General Organization of the Tactile and Position Senses.

Pain

Nociceptive and neuropathic pain, hyperalgesia, referred pain. Peripheral modulation and central control of pain.

Special senses

Neurophysiology of vision. The two visual pathways for vision. Organization of audition and vestibular sensation: central auditory mechanisms. Maps in the brain. Spatial localization of visual stimuli and of sounds. Vestibular sensations and maintenance of equilibrium

Contributions of the Cerebellum and Basal Ganglia to Motor Control

Regulation of movement: the cerebellum (afferent and efferent morphofunctional organization) basal ganglia (morphofunctional organization, direct pathway and indirect pathway).

Autonomic Nervous System

Morphofunctional organization of the autonomic nervous system: sympathetic, parasympathetic and enteric divisions. Afferent and efferent components of the ANS. Neurotransmitters of ANS and their receptors. Action of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems on the main organs. Adrenal medulla. Central control of the autonomic functions.

States of Brain Activity

Circadian rhythms and clocks. Brain waves. EEG. Sleep Physiology.

Integrative Functions of the Nervous System

The cerebral cortex and the interhemispheric connections. Hints on superior cerebral functions. Neural plasticity.

Readings/Bibliography

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 at 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 exam is formed by 3 parts: the Anatomy and Physiology parts are oral exams, and the Semeiotics is written.

For Anatomy and Physiology: 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.

For Semeiotics the exam will consist in a multiple choice questions with single right answer test. The number of questions will be 10. Each right answer scores 3 points and each wrong answer score -0.3 points.

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