NEUROBIOLOGY

Module A (Prof Pietrobon): 7 CFU (56 hours)of lectures
1. Introduction. 2. anatomical and functional organization of the human nervous system. 3. Electrophysiological and optical techniques for measurement of neuronal electrical activity. Optogenetic techniques for selective stimulation of specific neurons. Examples of applications. 4. Specific firing patterns in different neurons, physiological role and experimental methods to investigate their molecular mechanisms. 5. Techniques for measurement of synaptic transmission.Biophysical and molecular mechanisms of neurotransmitter release; experimental methods for their study. 6. Mechanisms of short-term synaptic plasticity (facilitation, post-tetanic potentiation, depression)and of long-term synaptic plasticity (LTP, LTD, STPD). Learning and memory. 7. General functional organization of sensory systems; in depth discussion of one sensory system.
Module B (Prof Costa): 2 CFU (16 hours) of lectures + 1 CFU (16 hours) of laboratory.
The physiological basis of biological rhythms and the ramifications for the sleep-wake cycle. the normal modulation of circadian cycles and the effects when these are disrupted. The circadian rhythm and its relationship to the sleep/wake cycle examined along with the concepts of photic and nonphotic zeitgebers. Drosophila melanogaster as a Model System for molecular chronobiology. The genetic basis of circadian rhythm generation. The fly’s circadian clock. The mammalian circadian clock. The neurophysiology of the pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nuclei. The genetic basis of circadian rhythm generation. The internal sleep structure is governed by circadian rhythms and these rhythms also impact upon levels of alertness and cognitive performance. General day-time performance and quality of life if these rhythms are disrupted such as with sleep fragmentation or jet lag. The effects of sleep deprivation and shift work. Changes in sleep wake patterns with ageing. Clock related sleep syndroms. Laboratory training: practical exercises are organised to define the chronotype of participants and to explore the hypothesis of a relationship between genetic variability in clock genes and sleep/wake preferences.