Topics in Cognitive Neuroscience

Forum Room, University Library, TuTh 2:00-3:15

Course

Professor Jim Houk

Department of Physiology

Directors:

Email: j-houk@northwestern.edu

Office:  5-132 Ward (MedSchl)

 

Telephone:  312-503-8219

 

 

Professor Paul Reber

Department of Psychology

 

Email: preber@northwestern.edu

Office:  309 Cresap (Evanston)

 

Telephone: 847-467-1624

 

 

 

 

 

Professor Cindy Thompson

Comm. Sciences & Disorders

 

Email: ckthom@northwestern.edu

Office: Frances Searle 3-247

 

Telephone: 847-491-5073

 

 

 

 

 

Professor David Ferster

Neurobiology & Physiology

 

Email: ferster@northwestern.edu

Office: Hogan 2-159

 

Telephone: 847-491-4137

 

 

 

 

 

Professor Bill Kath

Eng. Sci. & Appl. Math.

 

Email: kath@northwestern.edu

Office: Tech M460

 

Telephone: 847-491-5585

 

Course Description:

 

The goal of this course is to introduce students to selected special topics in the field of Cognitive Neuroscience. A major aim of Cognitive Neuroscience is to bridge the gap between cognitive science, communication science, systems and cellular neuroscience, brain imaging, and computational neuroscience. The selected topics will illustrate examples where these bridges are being made.

 

Due to the interdisciplinary nature of Cognitive Neuroscience, prior exposure to neuroscience, mathematics and/or cognitive psychology will be helpful. Prospective students should communicate with Jim Houk, Mark Jung-Beeman, or any of the other Course Directors, to discuss whether their previous studies will adequately prepare them for this course. The reading assignments will also assist the acquisition of the basics of human neuroanatomy and neurophysiology, as well as some of the major techniques of Cognitive Neuroscience, including the following:

  • Determining relationships between brain anatomy, neurophysiology and cognitive signal processing.
  • Measuring changes in the electrical activity of the brain during cognition (cellular and network neurophysiology and neuroanatomy).
  • Measuring changes in blood flow and metabolic activity of the brain during cognition (functional neuroimaging).

The course will explore the mechanisms by which neural networks generate voluntary actions, memory, thinking, problem solving, language and emotion and learn how these capabilities malfunction in persons with brain damage, mental illness and dementia.

Textbook:       Cognitive Neuroscience:  The Biology of the Mind
Michael Gazzaniga, Richard Ivry, and George Mangun, 2002, Norton

                        plus selected readings to be distributed to students electronically

Class Website:           http://CogNS.northwestern.edu

 

Class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2-3:30 as follows:

 

Week

Dates

Instructors

Topic

Readings

1

Jan 6
Jan 8*

Paul Reber       Peter Strick

Introduction                           The Motor System

Chapter 10

2

Jan 13    Jan 15

Bill Kath
David Ferster

Models of Neurons          Circuits for Vision

selections from Chapters 2 & 3

3

Jan 20    Jan 22

Dana Small       John Disterhoft

Multisensory Integration Plasticity & Touch

Chapter 12 & Electronic

4

Jan 27    Jan 29

Peter Vishton &
Barry Peterson

Vision è Perception è Gaze è Action

Chapter xx

5

Feb 3
Feb 5*

Sara Solla        Andy Barto

Networks & Cognitive Models   Reinforcement Learning

Electronic

6

Feb 10   Feb 12

Paul Reber     Beverly Wright

Memory                          Auditory Perception

Chapter xx

7

Feb 17   Feb 19

Cindy Thompson James Booth  

Language & the Brain Language & Development

Chapter 8

8

Feb 24*   Feb 26

Phil Holzman Sandy Weintraub

Schizophrenia
Alzheimer’s Disease

Electronic

9

March 2 March 4

Mark Jung-Beeman  Jim Houk

Language & Problem Solving  Toy Problem Solving

Electronic

10

March 9 March 11

Ian Horswill 

AI approach to Thinking 

Electronic

Grades:        Grades in the course will be computed based on 3 components:

Weekly one-page essays

20%

First research paper

40%

Second research paper

40%

All of the assignments in this course should be submitted in electronic format, preferably as Word documents. Students will email their 1-page essays on the weekly topic to Professor Reber on the Monday preceding that topic (except in Week 1, when it will be due on the Wednesday). The First research paper will be due February 10th and the second will be due March 17th. In order to write a research paper, the student should first choose a central topic closely related to one of the lecture topics and summarize their concept(s) in a few sentences. They should then seek approval of that concept from the lecturer, copying the course director in their email correspondence. The goal is to synthesize diverse kinds of knowledge to further the student’s understanding of the brain’s cognitive operations. The student will explore how several research findings in combination can generate interesting hypotheses about how the brain functions.

Special Seminars and Videoconferenced Presentations (denoted by * above):

January 9, 12 noon                               VideoConferenced Physiology seminar
Peter Strick, U Pittsburgh

February 6, 12 noon                             VideoConferenced CogNS Colloquium
Andy Barto, U Mass Amherst

March 2, 12 noon                                 VideoConferenced Physiology seminar
Philip Holzman, Harvard University