Instructor:  Jennifer Mangels, PhD

Textbook: Gazzaniga, Ivry, & Mangun (1998). Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of the Mind. Norton & Co,
(available at bookstore)

Objectives: W1010 will introduce you to cognitive neuroscience — the study of ‘how the brain thinks.’ Ultimately researchers in cognitive neuroscience would like to unlock the secret of how changes at the cellular and molecular level can lead to higher-level cognition like memory, language and even consciousness. Reaching this goal requires an understanding of brain function from multiple levels of analysis, from the communication between individual neurons to the functional organization of brain regions. Cognitive neuroscience also involves an appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of the different neuroscience techniques (PET, fMRI, ERP), and integration of neuroscience with fundamental topics in cognitive and experimental psychology. The material for the course is designed to give you a basic understanding of each of these different components. It highlights the areas where an integration of cognition and neuroscience has found some success (i.e., vision), as well as areas where much is still unknown (i.e., consciousness).

It is part of the core science curriculum and is appropriate for both science (including pre-meds) and non-science majors.

Exams: There will be three exams. The first exam will cover the first quarter of the course on basic neuroscience and is worth 25% of your grade. The second exam, which is not cumulative, covers topics that bridge neuroscience with behavior and mind and is worth 35% of your grade. The final exam is cumulative but will emphasize the last portion of the course (~75-80% of the questions). An in-class review will be held on the last day of class.

No one will be excused from an exam without a written medical excuse. Make-up exams are given only during the following Exam time (see Schedule).