Course Identification

Basic (B.A. level) neuroscience (including neuroanatomy)

This course is intended to provide students with base knowledge of behavioral assessment in neuroscience research and to familiarize students with current concepts, methods, and findings in this field.

The course will discuss types of model validation, phenomenology, classification, and potential etiological factors that relate to the most prevalent mouse models of mental function and dysfunctions.

The behavioral assays will be discussed in relation to the associated neural correlates.
The course is based on frontal lectures.

• Topics to be covered:
• Lecture number 1
  Course Overview, prevalent methods overview , types of model validation
• Lecture number 2

Assessing motor functions, dysfunctions and using motor functions to assess other functions

• Lectures number 3-4
  Assessing anxiety
• Lectures 5-6

Emotional Learning

• Lectures 7

Behavioral Despair

• Lecture 8

Spatial Learning

• Lecture 9

Schizophrenia

• Lecture 10

Social Behaviors

• Lecture 11

Application of tracking software

• Lectures 12-13

Guided tour of the “Behavioral and Physiological Phenotyping Unit”

The students will acquire basic understanding of modeling in mice basic faculties and dysfunctions that are related to neural mechanisms.

The students may be able to critically evaluate research publications and to plan experimental designs suitable for their research work.

Not Finalized

The students will NOT need to read any text before class sessions.