Instructor: Dr. George F. Michel        Office Hours: MTTh 1:30-3:00 or By appointment
Office:   507 Byrne, Ext. 4246           e-mail - gmichel@condor.depaul.edu

Text: Gazzaniga, M.S., Ivry, R.B., & Mangun, G.R. (1998). Cognitive Neuroscience. New York: Norton.

Course Description: This course is an introduction to the emerging field of cognitive neuroscience and is intended to provide a basic understanding of the relation of the nervous system to cognitive psychology. After an introduction to basic neuroanatomy and the methodology of cognitive neuroscience, we will concentrate on specific issues such as perception and attention, memory, language, and consciousness.

Course Format and Grading: The course format will be discussion. I expect that you will have read the assigned chapter before the first discussion about that topic. For each week, you must prepare six (6) substantive questions based on the reading for that week. Also, you will prepare answers to three of the six questions. These questions (and answers) will serve as sources for discussion. Therefore, bring two copies of your six questions with the answers that you have provided for three of them to class. One will be handed in immediately and both the questions that you created and the answers that you provided will be graded as your homework assignment for the week. These will be returned to you, with feedback and your grade, the following week. The second copy will be used to facilitate discussion during the class. Your final grade will depend on your participation in discussion, your homework grades, and a final paper (topics to be selected by you from the list presented below). Although attendance will not be taken, if you miss too many classes (as determined entirely by me), your course grade will be a full grade lower (e.g., A to B, B to C, etc.).

Date                                           Topic                                                     Assignment

1/3                             Introduction & Neuroanatomy                                     Chaps. 1 & 2

1/10                           Methods in Cognitive Neuroscience                             Chap. 3

1/17                         Perception and Encoding                                             Chap. 4

1/24                           Higher Perceptual Processes                                        Chap. 5

1/31                          Attention and Selective Perception                                 Chap. 6

2/7                            Memory Systems                                                           Chap. 7

2/14                         Language and the Brain                                                  Chap. 8

2/21                         Cerebral Lateralization and Specialization                         Chap. 9

2/28                         Development and Evolution of Brain Function                  Chaps. 12 & 13

3/6                          Executive Functions and Consciousness                           Chaps. 11 & 14
 

3/13 5:00 pm        Term Paper Due

Term Paper Topics:

1.    Describe the strengths and weaknesses of using performance measures from brain damaged individuals for constructing theories in cognitive neuroscience

2.    Describe the data that challenge the notion that the two visual pathways process the "what" versus the "where" of visual perception

3    Describe the data that challenge the notion that face perception is a special neural mechanism of the human brain.

4.    Defend the position that attentional processes are different from selective perception processes.

5.    Challenge the notion that LTP is a neural mechanism of memory.

6.    Challenge the notion that language depends on a unique, distinct and separate neural mechanism.

7.    Challenge the notion that the differences in functioning between the two cerebral hemispheres can be reflected in personality differences, learning styles, etc.

8.    Discuss how knowledge of cognitive neuroscience might affect the creation of rehabilitation procedures for promoting recovery of function after brain damage.

9.    Discuss how information from cognitive neuroscience might be used to construct therapeutic techniques for children exhibiting specific difficulties in school performance.

10.    Discuss how information from cognitive neuroscience might be used for evaluation of therapeutic techniques employed in clinical psychology.

11.    Defend the thesis that knowledge of cognitive neuroscience is important for training community psychologists

12.    Defend the thesis that knowledge of cognitive neuroscience is important for training I/O psychologists.