Introduction to neurosciences

Goal(s)

Introduction to neurosciences.
Main concepts, from neuron to simple neural fonctions
Knowledge of some neurodegenerative diseases

Content(s)

• Location and functions of the nervous system
• Basic principles of neurosciences : cells, electrical properties of cell membranes, cell excitability, membrane channels, action potential, synapses, neurotransmitters, other kinds of transmission
• Main physiological consequences of neurotransmission : post-synaptic potentials, synaptic dendritic integration, neuronal phenotypes, groups of cells, importance of connectivity
• Neural coding : example of the muscle spindle, generalization, population coding
• Central pattern generators : basic principles, example of the respiratory centers
• Plasticity : short-term and long-term synaptic plasticity, structural plasticity (axonal and dendritic modifications)

Molecular biology and cell signaling courses