Download core curriculum - Ping Pong

Karolinska Institutet
Biomedicine Program, T4
Neuroscience
CORE CURRICULUM
The oral exams during the course serve as (1) a check of your knowledge after each main
section of the course, and as (2) a forum for questions and discussion.
The final, written exam will be composed of a number of integrated themes, with an emphasis
on an understanding of important functions and principal mechanisms, rather than on single
details. A typical exam (in Swedish) can be seen at the course reception desk, and on the course
web site.
The core curriculum below is intended to serve as a guide in your studies. The different
subheadings of the various sections indicate the main contents of the lectures. The core
curriculum thereby constitutes a collection of the main issues of the course contents. This means
that the final exam will be designed on the basis of this core curriculum. If a lecturer has not had
time to cover all issues within a section, the core curriculum applies.
NEUROANATOMY, DEVELOPMENT, GROWTH, DEGENERATION
General organization of the nervous system: CNS – PNS – ANS
Principles of organization: segment, symmetry, cranial transposition
Orientation in the CNS: absolute; relative to the neural axis
Gray matter: cerebral cortex, subcortical structures
White matter: association pathways, projection pathways, corpus callosum
Macroanatomy of the CNS:
Main portions of the brain: telencephalon, diecephalon, brainstem, cerebellum
Main portions of the spinal cord: gray and white matter, ascending and descending
pathways, spinal roots
Overview of PNS: cranial nerves, spinal nerves
Organization of the cerebral cortex:
Macroscopic structure; hemispheres, lobes, sulci, gyri
Cortical neurons: morphology, axonal projections, transmitters, activity
Levels of organization: hemisphere-area-cell layer-column/module
Cortical connections, cortical “maps”
The meninges of the brain
Vascular system of the brain: CSF, ventricles, CSF circulation
Blood circulation of the brain
Development of the nervous system
Regional differentiation
CNS development at the cellular level:
Proliferation, migration, cell identity, differentiation
Construction of neural circuits
Axon growth, growth cones, axon guidance
Trophic factors
Neural activity and the formation of synaptic connections
Visual cortex: Ocular dominance columns
Critical periods
Superfluous growth and regression during development
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CELLULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
Functional morphology of the nerve cell
Different types of neurons
Afferent and efferent neurons
Interneurons
Glial cells
Different types
Functional properties
Membrane potentials and their generation
Ionic currents
Equilibrium potential
Resting membrane potential
The action potential
Voltage-dependent membrane properties
Active and passive current spread
Action potential conduction
Refractory period
The principle of the voltage-clamp method
Ion channels
General molecular structure of ion channels
Different types of ion channels
Mechanisms of gating of ion channels
Presynaptic mechanisms
Electrical and chemical synapses
Axonal transport
Quantal release of transmitters in chemical synapses
Recycling of synaptic vesicles
The role of calcium for transmitter release
Release of different types of synaptic vesicles
Neurotransmitters
Definition; different categories of transmitters
Synthesis, transport, removal of transmitters
Properties of different types of transmitters
Excitotoxicity
Nitric oxide
Postsynaptic mechanisms
The neuro-muscular endplate; endplate potential
Postsynaptic potentials
Reversal potential
Summation of synaptic potentials
Transmitter receptors
Ligand-gated ion channels
Metabotropic receptors; G-protein activation
Ion channel regulation via G-proteins and intracellular messengers
Regulation of gene expression
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SENSORY SYSTEMS
General sensory mechanisms
Classification of the sensory organs
Processing of stimulus modality, intensity, duration and localization
Receptive fields
The process of transduction
Receptor potentials
Adaptation
Somatosensory system
Types of receptors and their characteristics
Mechanoreceptors for touch, pressure, proprioception
Dermatomes
Mechanosensory pathways
Somatosensory cortex
Somatotopic organization
Somatosensory association areas
Pain
Nociceptors: Types, properties
Perception of pain
Hyperalgesia, sensitization
Pain pathways to the thalamus and cerebral cortex
Referred pain; phantom pain
Central regulation of pain perception
Pain modulation – the gate theory
Descending control of pain signal transmission
Opioids
Hearing
Sound – definition; frequency, amplitude – loudness, decibel
The audible spectrum
Functional anatomy of the ear
Transmission of the sound wave from the middle ear to the cochlea
Transduction of sound waves – the hair cell
Coding of sound frequency
Transmission of sound information from the cochlea to the brainstem, thalamus and
cerebral cortex
Integration of sounds from the two ears
Vestibular system
Functional anatomy of the vestibular apparatus
Vestibular hair cells: function, specific orientation
Otolith organs (sacculus, utriculus) – detection of linear acceleration; gravity
Semicircular canals – detection of angular acceleration
Central connections to the spinal cord, brainstem, cerebellum, thalamus and
cerebral cortex
The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR)
Smell and Taste
Functional organization of the smell- and taste systems
Detection, coding and processing of smell- and taste stimuli
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Visual system
The retina
Development (part of the CNS!)
Cell types, connections, cell layers
Phototransduction
Photoreceptors
Receptive fields
Center/Surround
Different types of retinal ganglion cells
On-center/off-center
P- and M-cells
Principles of colour vision
The retina in relation to general principles of sensory systems
Central visual pathways
Participating structures and their connections
Lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN)
Organization; functional properties
The primary visual cortex (area 17/V1)
Retinotopic organization in visual pathways and cortex
Mono- and binocular vision; Stereoscopic vision
Receptive fields – properties
Directional specificity; Movement detection
Columns for ocular dominance, orientation, direction; “blobs”
Extra-striate visual areas
Dorsal and ventral pathways (“where” and “what”)
Neuronal properties in higher visual areas
MOTOR SYSTEMS
Regulation of basic motor patterns by the spinal cord
Motoneurons, interneurons in the spinal cord
Motoneuron pools
The motor unit – different types; properties
Regulation of muscle force
Muscle receptors: the muscle spindle, the Golgi tendon organ
Structure, innervation
Function, adequate stimulus
Muscle tone
The principle of electromyography
Spinal reflexes
The stretch reflex
Components; circuit diagram
Functional significance; automatic load compensation
The tendon reflex
Components; circuit diagram
Functional significance; negative feedback
The flexion reflex
Components; circuit diagram
Function
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Spinal networks for rhythmic movements: Locomotion
Characteristics of walking movements
Rhythm-generating networks – principal organization
Descending control of spinal networks
Brainstem projections to the spinal cord
Reticular formation, Vestibular nucleus
Brainstem control of locomotion
Initiation, modulation
Control of posture
Postural control during standing and walking
Postural synergies
Regulation via anticipatory mechanisms and sensory feedback
Neck reflexes, vestibular reflexes
Voluntary control of movements
Somatotopic organization of the motor cortex
Coding of muscle force and movement direction in the primary motor cortex
Different motor cortical areas and their role:
Planning, programming, execution
Descending pathways from the motor cortex
The pyramidal tract – fine motor control of the hand
Modulation of movements
The significance of sensory information for movement modulation
The basal ganglia: Planning, initiation by selection of motor programs
The cerebellum: Coordination, adaptation and correction of ongoing movements
Effects of lesions in the basal ganglia and cerebellum
Structural and functional organization of the basal ganglia and cerebellum
Input- and output projections
Neuronal mechanisms of movement modulation
Neuronal circuitry in the basal ganglia and cerebellum
The basal ganglia:
The direct and indirect pathways; disinhibition
Mechanisms for movement initiation and termination
Mechanisms for hypo- and hyperkinesia
Cerebellum:
Processing of two different kinds of information in the cerebellar
cortex:
Mechanism for movement corrections
Cellular interactions; Long-term depression (LTD)
Eye movements
The function of different types of eye movements
Control of saccadic eye movements
The vestibulo-ocular reflex
Role of the basal ganglia and cerebellum
5
HIGHER BRAIN FUNCTIONS
Autonomic regulatory systems
Principles for the control of visceral functions by the ANS
The sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the ANS
Sympathetic ganglia; Cranial nerves and parasympathetic ganglia
Synaptic transmission in the ANS: Acetylcholine, noradrenaline; other transmitters
Hypothalamus, the limbic system; Homeostasis
Definition – homeostasis
Hypothalamus, pituitary, limbic system – functional anatomy, connections
Principles for homeostasis regulation
Endocrine homeostasis regulation
Higher-order control of the ANS
Cognition
Association cortex – topologically organized
Quantitative dimensions of the cortex
Cortical representation
Functional organization
General and specific attention
Parallell processing
Working memory
Lateralization of higher brain functions
Anatomical and functional assymmetries
Language
Characteristics of language
Localization, lateralization of language functions
Language comprehension, production, and deficits – aphasias
Development of language skills
Brain imaging techniques: PET and fMRI
Emotions
Physiological reactions and emotions
Emotional behaviour: Coordination of somatic and autonomic components
Regulation of emotional behaviour from amygdala and limbic system
Fear, anxiety, mood disorders
Emotions and cognitive factors
Emotion and motivation
Sleep – wakefulness
Different components of sleep: REM-sleep, non-REM-sleep
The sleep cycle during one night
Functional significance of sleep; Dreams
Mechanisms for regulation of sleep-wakefulness
Sleep disorders
Circadian rhythms – biological clocks
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Sexual behaviour
Sexual dimorphism – hormonal control
Sex hormones; effects on neuronal morphology
Sexual dimorphism in the CNS – relation to sexual behaviour
Learning and memory
Definitions: learning – memory – forgetting
Types of learning
Habituation, classical conditioning
Different categories of memory
The significance of forgetting
CNS structures involved in learning and memory
Memory and ageing
Synaptic plasticity – mechanisms for learning and memory
Short-term changes of synaptic efficacy
Facilitation, synaptic depression, post-tetanic potentiation
Long-term changes of synaptic function
Long-term potentiation (LTP)
Hippocampus
Molecular mechanisms of LTP
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