Instructor: Dr. George F. Michel Office Hours:
MW 10-11,F 2-4
Office: 507 Byrne
Telephone: X 4246
E-Mail: gmichel@condor.depaul.edu
Text: Rosenzweig, Leiman & Breedlove, Biological psychology, 1996, Sunderland, MA: Sinauer.
Course Format: Each meeting I will lecture on the assigned topic and allow about one hour for your questions and discussion. I depend upon you for letting me know what parts of the text and/or lectures need clarification. Therefore, please read the text before lecture.
Grading: Your grade will be based upon your contribution to class discussion, your written homework assignments, and your performance on a midterm and final examination. Homework assignments will be given for each chapter (see enclosed pages). The homework is due on the first day for which the chapter is assigned.
COURSE OUTLINE
Date Topic Assignment
1/4
Introduction
&
Neuroanatomy
Ch 1 & Ch 2
1/18
Neurophysiology
Ch 3
1/25
Psychopharmacology
Ch 4
2/1
Psychobiology
Chs 5 & 12
2/8
Psycho-neuro-endocrin-immunology
Ch 15
2/15 MIDTERM DUE
2/15
Biological
Psychiatry
Ch 16
2/22
Neuropsychology
Ch 19
3/1
Cognitive
Science
Chs 17 & 18
3/8
Neuroscience
Chs 10 & 11
3/15
Psychophysiology
Ch 14
3/19 FINAL EXAM (Due by 3:00)
Homework Assignments:
Each assignment is due the first day of class that
the topic will be discussed. Please keep a copy of your homework
for your own records and use.
Chapter 2: a. Describe the major differences between glial and neural
cells.
b. Identify the major structures in the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain.
Chapter 3: a. Describe the mechanisms involved in synaptic transmission.
b. Describe the distribution of positive and negative ions across the membrane
during the
resting potential and explain the changes that occur during depolarization,
hyper-polarization, and the action potential.
Chapter 4: a. Describe 3 ways in which drugs can affect the properties
of brain cells and give at
least two examples.
b. Describe the positive reward hypothesis of addiction and compare it
to at least one
other perspective.
Chapter 5: a. Compare and contrast the properties of hormonal and neural
systems.
b. Identify the main classes of hormones and describe, briefly, what they
do.
Chapter 12: a. State what is meant by the organizational and activational
roles of hormones in
reproductive behavior and give two examples of each role.
b. Show how different levels and regions of the nervous system are involved
in
reproductive behavior.
Chapter 15: a. Support the view that stress promotes human disease and
present 3 strong criticisms
of this view.
b. List 5 points about the neurobiology of aggression that reflect current
understanding
of this issue.
Chapter 16: a. Describe both supporting and contradictory evidence for
the dopamine hypothesis in
schizophrenia
b. Describe the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal relations in depression.
Chapter 19: a. Discuss the value of research on bird song in the study
of human speech and
language.
b. Describe at least three major views about the nature of recovery of
function
following brain lesions or damage.
Chapter 17: a. Compare and contrast two different kinds of amnesia caused
by disease or damage
to the brain.
b. Discuss the findings, and their significance, of research on the different
types of
learning in Aplysia.
Chapter 18: a. Describe five ways that synaptic regions could change
and thereby contribute to
memory.
b. Discuss evidence for and against the notion that there is more
than a single stage of
memory function
Chapter 10: a. Discuss at what level(s) of the primate nervous system
color perception can be said
to emerge.
b. Discuss two processes important for recognizing familiar visual forms
and present
evidence that different cortical regions are involved in these processes.
Chapter 11: a. Discuss the role of the basal ganglia in motor control.
b. Provide a plausible explanation for why older people walk slower.
Chapter 14: a. Describe three major theoretical views about the functions
of sleep and for each, note
one
example of support and one example of contradictory evidence.
b. List 10 physiological differences between SWS and REM sleep.