Monash College Handbook

FOUNDATIONS OF BEHAVIOURAL NEUROSCIENCE (MCD7120)

Purpose

This unit is designed to assist students to develop a conceptual framework that will place into context material learned in other core biomedical science, behavioural neuroscience and psychology units. Instruction in this unit is a case-based approach to cover fundamental principles of physics, biochemistry and genetics. The unit also aims to elucidate the relationship between heritable metabolic / biochemical disturbances and behaviour.

Prerequisites

Nil

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will:

1. develop understanding of how genes interact with the environment to affect the structure and function of the brain and/or our biochemical systems, and in turn, human behaviour.
2. be familiar with modes of inheritance, gene mutations and abnormalities.
3. be familiar with the details of several heritable disorders (e.g. Fragile X syndrome, Wilson’s disease, Down syndrome, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, etc.) that affect certain aspects of behaviour through neuropharmacological, histological, biochemical and other neurological alterations.
4. develop group-work and oral presentation skills.
5. acquire new skills (e.g. locating and extracting relevant and valid information from databases via the web; writing a basic neuropsychological case report) that will be useful throughout their undergraduate and postgraduate careers.
6. understand and be able to build on important concepts underlying neuroimaging procedures (including the principles of electromagnetism, simple nuclear physics, etc).
7. discuss ethical issues surrounding the use of gene therapy as a treatment for disease.

Assessment

Disclaimer