GENESIS Home Page NEUR 734
COMPUTATIONAL NEUROBIOLOGY
Dr. Kim L. Blackwell
Spring, 2011
Wednesday, 1:30 - 4:15 PM
Krasnow Lecture Hall
COURSE DESCRIPTION
An intense review of neurobiology for graduate students interested in studying how nerve cells integrate and transmit signals, and how behavior emerges from the integrated actions of populations or circuits of nerve cells. The course covers electrical and biochemical properties of single neurons, and electrical and chemical communication between neurons. Emphasis is on mathematical descriptions and computational techniques used to study and understand neurons and networks of neurons.Learn how to ask and answer questions about neurobiology using computational techniques
Assignments and Grading
Homework
10% of grade. Assigned almost every week and due the following class period
Homework turned in one week late will be graded, but marked down one letter grade
Homework not accepted more than one week late
Exams
Midterm counts 45% of grade
Final counts 45% of grade, is NOT cummulative
Make-up exams are not allowed, unless the student has written medical documentation for absence from an exam.
SYLLABUS
WEEK/DATE |
TOPIC |
READING |
1 |
Introduction, Electrical Circuit Theory, Equilibrium, Lecture in ppt |
J&W appendix , Chap 2,3 |
2 |
Cable theory, lecture in ppt | J&W 4, Rall Chapter |
3 |
Neurons as conductors of electricity |
J&W Chap 4, BoG Chap 5 |
4 |
Ionic Basis of Action Potential, Lecture in ppt |
J&W Chap 5,6 |
5 |
Ionic Basis of Action Potential, Membrane Channels |
J&W Chap 7, BoG Chap 4,7 |
6 |
Calcium Dynamics, Signaling Pathway Modeling |
|
7 |
Midterm (Lectures 1-6) |
|
8 |
Single Channel Analysis, lecture in ppt |
J&W Chap 8,9 |
9 |
No Class |
|
10 |
Single Channel Analysis |
J&W Chap 9,10 |
11 |
Pre-synaptic transmission - Quantal Analysis, Calcium, lecture in ppt |
J&W Chap 11,12 |
12 |
Finish calcium, Post-synaptic transmission, GAP junctions, lecture in ppt |
J&W Chap 13, BoG Chap 6 |
13 |
Field potentials, Synaptic plasticity |
J&W Chap 14, 15 |
15 |
Finish everything |
|
5/11 |
FINAL, 1:30 - 4:15 PM (Lectures 8-13) |
|
TEXT
1.Johnston and Wu, Foundations of Cellular Neurophysiology, MIT Press, 1995
2. Bower and Beeman, The Book of GENESIS, Telos, 2nd Edition
SOFTWARE TOOLS
