PSYC 215 Lecture 1: Overview of Neurons PDF

PSYC 215: Introductory Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience Associate Professor Anna S Mitchell University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand Semester 2: July-November 2024  Short bio...

PSYC 215: Introductory Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience Associate Professor Anna S Mitchell University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand Semester 2: July-November 2024  Short bio Undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Psychology at UC 2004: PhD in Psychology, UC, rat behavioural neuroscience 2004-2008: Postdoctoral research, Dept Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, switched to monkey behavioural neuroscience 2009-2022: Principal Investigator and Associate Professor, Dept Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom, working with monkeys, rats, and humans 2022 onwards: Associate Professor in Behavioural Neuroscience, UC, rats and humans Interested in thalamocortical interactions, focus on dorsal thalamic nuclei and their interconnected frontal, cingulate, and medial temporal cortex contributions to cognition and navigation Note the email address for course admin related questions [email protected] Makayla Chen will answer your questions Quizzes will be posted on LEARN – see next sheet for when Lab attendance is compulsory Ethics assignment and Research report are covered in the labs The Carlson & Birkett textbook covers the basics and there will be additional materials to read – check LEARN I expect that you will turn up for the lectures when they are scheduled. The style of presentation for these lectures is that the information you hear and learn today and this week will be relevant to the information you will hear and learn next week and this pattern will continue throughout the course. The labs are compulsory from Week 3. The first lab is presented online for all students. Then the next three labs are in person for the on campus students and run online for the distance students. It is not possible for on campus students to join the online distance student labs. The work you complete in the labs provides the content for your ethics assignment and your research report. The on campus lab streams will be run on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays – it is now possible to sign up to your preferred lab from today onwards (Benjamin LeBrun, Shae Harrison-Best and Xavier Ram are the TAs running the on campus labs). The distance lab stream timing is still being organized. Keep an eye out for messages for selection the best time. You only have a week to complete each quiz so make sure you’re aware of when these are coming up so you don’t miss the opportunity The TAs will provide weekly office hours from Week 3 related to the labs and assignments so make sure you use this contact time to sort any questions related to the lab content and assignments Mid semester test – date still being sorted. Will advise this next week End of semester test – date still being sorted. Will advise this next week  Any questions? Email Makayla: [email protected] Learning objectives What is a neuron and its parts (dendrites, soma, axon, terminals) What is action potential What is a synapse What is synaptic transmission Drawing of Nerve Cells by Santiago Ramón y Cajal Photographic Print Structure and function of the CNS and PNS Taken from Carlson, N., & Birkett, M. (2002). Physiology of behavior, global edition. Pearson Education, Limited.  Review of details from PSYC105 What is a neuron? Well described by Sharon Furtak Furtak, S. (2024). Axon terminals Neurons. In R. Biswas- Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/s67 8why4 Link is provided in LEARN The schematic shows two neurons connecting via an axon terminal of one neuron to the dendrite of the neuron via the synapse(s) Two minute neuroscience – The Neuron https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qS83wD29PY  Communication in the brain: Action potentials Na+ = sodium K+ = potassium Some of the research that my lab does involves taking recordings from these electrical action potentials (electrophysiology) in animal models while they complete learning and decision-making tasks  Two minute neuroscience – Action potentials https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2hHt_PXe5o Refractory For more details, check out 10 minute neuroscience – period Action potentials https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUOSCEVt6HI Taken from Furtak, 2024 Membrane potential https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIzF2tWy6KI  Review of details from PSYC105 What is a synapse? Well described by Sharon Furtak Furtak, S. (2024). Axon terminals Neurons. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba textbook series: Psychology. Cha mpaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/s678why4 Link is provided in LEARN The schematic shows two neurons connecting via an axon terminal of one neuron to the dendrite of the neuron via the synapse(s)  Many different types of synapses Synapses on terminal buttons Synapses on dendrites Synapses on soma Taken from Carlson, N., & Birkett, M. (2002). Physiology of behavior, global edition. Pearson Education, Limited. The synapse Direction of the action potential Taken from Furtak, 2024 Two minute neuroscience – synaptic transmission https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhowH0kb7n0 Ten minutes neuroscience – synapses https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5RafiYXieo Membrane potential https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIzF2tWy6KI Why do we want to know this in relation to psychology and cognitive and behavioural neuroscience? As you’ve seen in the videos, the electrical action potentials arise as a consequence of experiencing some form of stimulus… and that’s what we measure… How do I, or you, or your peers, or an animal respond as a consequence of experiencing a stimulus. Any drugs taken can block receptors at the synapse, or cause more receptors to form, or speed up the enzyme to break down the neurotransmitters when they are released, or allow the neurotransmitter to stay around in the synaptic cleft for longer (delaying reuptake) The Neuron Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0SZnLOeh5E