516-208 Structure & Function of the Brain

By the end of this subject students should:

• comprehend the terminology of neuroscience, the principles and essential information regarding the macroscopic and microscopic structure of the nervous system and the functional components of the nervous system including their organisation and major connections, the correlation of structure with function including behaviour, the major effects of lesions to clinically important areas and pathways;

• develop observational and organisational skills to identify and interpret the macroscopic appearance of the brain and spinal cord including cut sections, and the microscopic appearance of the nervous system, skills to analyse the structural and functional changes which occur in disorders of the nervous system; and

• appreciate the extent and limitations of current knowledge of the organisation of the central nervous system, particularly in the context of recent profound advances in neuroscience, the implications of such limitations in our understanding of how the brain works.

The following topics are considered: the structure and function of the primate nervous system with emphasis on the main sensory systems (including vision, hearing and touch) and the motor systems, and structural and histological examination of human brains.

A 2-hour end-of-semester written examination and 1-hour practical examination during the semester.

• Kandel, Schwartz and Jessell, Principles of Neural Science.
• J Nolte, J B Angerine, The Human Brain in Photographs and Diagrams.