Medical Neuroscience
Duke University
Acerca de este Curso
Medical Neuroscience explores the functional organization and neurophysiology of the human central nervous system, while providing a neurobiological framework for understanding human behavior. In this course, you will discover the organization of the neural systems in the brain and spinal cord that mediate sensation, motivate bodily action, and integrate sensorimotor signals with memory, emotion and related faculties of cognition. The overall goal of this course is to provide the foundation for understanding the impairments of sensation, action and cognition that accompany injury, disease or dysfunction in the central nervous system. The course will build upon knowledge acquired through prior studies of cell and molecular biology, general physiology and human anatomy, as we focus primarily on the central nervous system.
This online course is designed to include all of the core concepts in neurophysiology and clinical neuroanatomy that would be presented in most first-year neuroscience courses in schools of medicine. However, there are some topics (e.g., biological psychiatry) and several learning experiences (e.g., hands-on brain dissection) that we provide in the corresponding course offered in the Duke University School of Medicine on campus that we are not attempting to reproduce in Medical Neuroscience online. Nevertheless, our aim is to faithfully present in scope and rigor a medical school caliber course experience.
This course comprises six units of content organized into 12 weeks, with an additional week for a comprehensive final exam:
- Unit 1 Neuroanatomy (weeks 1-2). This unit covers the surface anatomy of the human brain, its internal structure, and the overall organization of sensory and motor systems in the brainstem and spinal cord.
- Unit 2 Neural signaling (weeks 3-4). This unit addresses the fundamental mechanisms of neuronal excitability, signal generation and propagation, synaptic transmission, post synaptic mechanisms of signal integration, and neural plasticity.
- Unit 3 Sensory systems (weeks 5-7). Here, you will learn the overall organization and function of the sensory systems that contribute to our sense of self relative to the world around us: somatic sensory systems, proprioception, vision, audition, and balance senses.
- Unit 4 Motor systems (weeks 8-9). In this unit, we will examine the organization and function of the brain and spinal mechanisms that govern bodily movement.
- Unit 5 Brain Development (week 10). Next, we turn our attention to the neurobiological mechanisms for building the nervous system in embryonic development and in early postnatal life; we will also consider how the brain changes across the lifespan.
- Unit 6 Cognition (weeks 11-12). The course concludes with a survey of the association systems of the cerebral hemispheres, with an emphasis on cortical networks that integrate perception, memory and emotion in organizing behavior and planning for the future; we will also consider brain systems for maintaining homeostasis and regulating brain state.
Habilidades que obtendrás
NeurologyNeurological DisordersNeurological InjuryCognitive Science
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
1
Section
Getting Started in Medical Neuroscience
<p>Let's get started in Medical Neuroscience! Each module in Medical Neuroscience will begin with a brief description like this that provides you with an overview of the module. In this first module, you will get to know something about Prof. White and his career in neuroscience; you will understand the scope of Medical Neuroscience, its learning resources, your responsibilities for maximizing your benefit in this course, and you will learn Prof. White's tips on how best to study and learn.</p><p> At the end of this module, please take the ungraded preliminary quiz, "Are you ready for Medical Neuroscience", to self-assess your background knowledge. Your score on this quiz will not count toward your overall score in this course. However, you should be able to pass this quiz (score 70% or better) if you are ready for the academic challenge of this course. Students who are likely to achieve their goals in Medical Neuroscience should be able to successfully answer nearly all of the quiz questions on their first attempt and feel comfortable with assessment questions at this level of knowledge.</p>
5 videos (Total 75 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
5 videos
The Scope of Medical Neuroscience11m
Learning resources for Medical Neuroscience32m
Your Part!13m
"Neur-run" with Professor White3m
2 readings
Learning Objectives10m
Your Mentor Team10m
1 practice exercises
Preliminary Quiz: Are you ready for Medical Neuroscience?22m
Neuroanatomy: Introducing the Human Brain
Your introduction to Medical Neuroscience continues as you experience in this module a brief introduction to the human brain, its component cells, and some basic anatomical conventions for finding your way around the human central nervous system.
4 videos (Total 79 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
4 videos
Functional Microanatomy of Neurons31m
Non-Neural Cells of the CNS20m
Basic Orientation in the Human CNS7m
1 readings
Introduction, Learning Objectives and Recommended Reading10m
1 practice exercises
Cells of the CNS and Basic Orientation18m
2
Section
Neuroanatomy: Surface Anatomy of the Human CNS
We now begin in earnest our lessons on neuroanatomy with the surface of the human brain, including a brief run through the cranial nerves and the blood supply to the CNS. In this module, you will learn the basic subdivisions of the vertebrate nervous system; however, your focus should be on the cerebral cortex. Along the way, you will be challenged to "build a digital brain" that should help you generate and improve your mental “model” of the cerebral hemispheres of the human brain. Another great way to refine your mental model is through sketching and crafting, so please do the learning objectives that are designed to help you make visible (and tangible) your understanding of the cerebral hemispheres.
12 videos (Total 129 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes
12 videos
Medial Surface of the Brain5m
Finding the Central Sulcus6m
Ventral Surface of the Brain8m
Building a Digital Brain (Fingers to Gyri)11m
Surface Anatomy of the Brainstem4m
Blood Supply to the Brain15m
Overview of the Cranial Nerves19m
Overview of the Spinal Nerves8m
Localizing the Cranial Nerves13m
Cranial Nerve Function, part 116m
Cranial Nerve Function, part 211m
2 readings
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
2 practice exercises
Cerebral Cortex, Brainstem, and Blood Supply24m
Cranial and Spinal Nerves16m
Neuroanatomy: Internal Anatomy of the Human CNS
12 videos (Total 160 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes
12 videos
Cranial Nerve Nuclei, part 112m
Cranial Nerve Nuclei, part 219m
Cranial Nerve Nuclei, part 317m
Cranial Nerve Nuclei, part 417m
Internal Anatomy of the Spinal Cord - Gray and White Matter11m
Internal Anatomy of the Spinal Cord -Longitudinal Organization11m
Internal Anatomy of the Spinal Cord In Cross Sections6m
Ventricles8m
Overview of the Internal Capsule and Deep Gray Matter8m
Localizing the Internal Capsule and Deep Gray Matter In Brain Slabs9m
Localizing the Internal Capsule and Deep Gray Matter In Sylvius Atlases12m
2 readings
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
2 practice exercises
Brainstem and Spinal Cord22m
Forebrain26m
3
Section
Neural Signaling: Electrical Excitability and Signal Propagation
We now turn our attention from the tangible (human neuroanatomy) to the physiological as we explore the means by which neurons generate, propagate and communicate electrical signals. After exploring those structures in the human brain that are visible to the unaided eye, we must now sharpen our focus and zoom-in, as it were, to the unitary level of organization and function in the central nervous system: to the level of individual neurons and their component parts that are crucial for neural signaling.
9 videos (Total 142 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
9 videos
Ionic Basis of the Resting Membrane Potential, part 114m
Ionic Basis of the Resting Membrane Potential, part 215m
Ionic Basis of the Action Potential, part 118m
Ionic Basis of the Action Potential, part 212m
Ionic Basis of the Action Potential, part 315m
Molecular Mechanisms of Action Potential Generation, part 120m
Molecular Mechanisms of Action Potential Generation, part 29m
Propagation of Action Potentials20m
1 readings
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
1 practice exercises
Generating and Propagating Electrical Signals20m
4
Section
Neural Signaling: Synaptic Transmission and Synaptic Plasticity
Let’s continue our studies of neural signaling by learning about what happens at synaptic junctions, where the terminal ending of one neuron meets a complementary process of another excitable cell.
13 videos (Total 226 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes
13 videos
Synaptic Transmission, part 215m
Neurotransmitters, part 115m
Neurotransmitters, part 222m
Ionotropic Neurotransmitters Receptors, part 117m
Ionotropic Neurotransmitters Receptors, part 211m
Metabotropic Neurotransmitters Receptors and Postsynaptic Mechanisms11m
Synaptic Integration25m
Long-Term Potentiation and Depression, part 122m
Long-Term Potentiation and Depression, part 217m
Long-Term Potentiation and Depression, part 314m
Spike-Timing Dependent synaptic Plasticity19m
Hebb's Postulate11m
2 readings
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
2 practice exercises
Synaptic Transmission24m
Synaptic Plasticity18m
5
Section
Sensory Systems: General Principles and Somatic Sensation
We have reached a significant juncture in Medical Neuroscience as we turn our attention to the organization and function of the sensory systems. We will begin our studies with the somatic sensory systems, which includes subsystems for mechanical sensation and pain/temperature sensation. But before we get there, it is worth considering first some organizing principles that will set the stage for studies of somatic sensation and all the other sensory systems of the body.
16 videos (Total 257 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes
16 videos
The Thalamus15m
Overview and Origins of Cortical Circuits, part 116m
Overview and Origins of Cortical Circuits, part 211m
General Principles of Sensory Systems, part 117m
General Principles of Sensory Systems, part 218m
Mechanosensation, part 116m
Mechanosensation, part 215m
Mechanosensation, part 316m
Mechanosensory Pathways, part 115m
Mechanosensory Pathways, part 211m
Mechanosensory Pathways, part 317m
Pain Systems, part 119m
Pain Systems, part 215m
Pain Systems, part 313m
Pain and Temperature Pathways, part 119m
Pain and Temperature Pathways, part 217m
2 readings
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
2 practice exercises
Organizing Principles12m
Somatic Sensation16m
6
Section
Sensory Systems: The Visual System
This module will provide lessons that are designed to help you understand the basic mechanisms by which light is transduced into electrical signals that are then used to construct visual perceptions in the brain. Your studies of the visual system will benefit you at this point in the course, but also in later studies when we use the visual system as a model for understanding general principles of developmental plasticity. Lastly, it is worth noting how much of the forebrain contains elements of the visual pathways. Thus, injuries and disease in widespread regions of the brain may have a clinically important impact on visual function. All the more reason to learn these lessons well as you progress in Medical Neuroscience.
12 videos (Total 161 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes
12 videos
Photoreceptors and Phototransduction, part 114m
Photoreceptors and Phototransduction, part 211m
Ganglion Cell Receptive fields, part 113m
Ganglion Cell Receptive fields, part 26m
Central Visual Processing, part 114m
Central Visual Processing, part 215m
Central Visual Processing, part 319m
Central Visual Pathways, part 112m
Central Visual Pathways, part 213m
Visual Field Deficits15m
Pupillary Light Reflex9m
2 readings
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
2 practice exercises
The Eye10m
Central Visual Processing10m
7
Section
Sensory Systems: Audition, Vestibular Sensation and the Chemical Senses
Our survey of the sensory systems continues as we now turn our attention to the auditory system, the vestibular system, and the chemical sensory systems. As you study this content, notice the similarities and the differences that pertain to the general mechanisms of sensory transduction and the broad organization of the central pathways in each of these sensory systems. In particular, note the similarity in transduction mechanisms for audition and vestibular sensation; and note the “logic” of sensory coding in the chemical sensory systems.
22 videos (Total 272 min), 3 readings, 3 quizzes
22 videos
Peripheral Auditory Mechanisms, part 213m
Peripheral Auditory Mechanisms, part 310m
Central Auditory Processing, part 114m
Central Auditory Processing, part 211m
Central Auditory Processing, part 315m
Peripheral Vestibular Mechanisms, part 116m
Peripheral Vestibular Mechanisms, part 214m
Peripheral Vestibular Mechanisms, part 312m
Central Vestibular Processing, part18m
Central Vestibular Processing, part 212m
Central Vestibular Processing, part 312m
Central Vestibular Processing, part 44m
Overview of the Chemical Senses8m
Olfaction, part 113m
Olfaction, part 29m
Olfaction, part 314m
Olfaction, part 418m
Gustation, part111m
Gustation, part 214m
Gustation, part 39m
Trigeminal Chemoreception10m
3 readings
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
3 practice exercises
Audition12m
Vestibular Sensation10m
Chemical Senses10m
8
Section
Movement and Motor Control: Lower and Upper Motor Neurons
We come now to another pivot in Medical Neuroscience where our focus shifts from sensation to action. Or to borrow a phrase made famous by C.S. Sherrington more than a century ago (the title of his classic text), we will now consider the “integrative action of the nervous system”. We will do so in this module by learning the basic mechanisms by which neural circuits in the brain and spinal cord motivate bodily movement.
18 videos (Total 252 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes
18 videos
Overview of Motor Units20m
Muscle Spindles and Myotatic Reflexes, part 118m
Muscle Spindles and Myotatic Reflexes, part 211m
Golgi Tendon Organs7m
Spindles Versus GTOs, and Withdrawal Reflexes9m
Central Pattern Generation8m
Lower Motor Syndrome5m
Primary Motor Cortex, part 119m
Primary Motor Cortex, part 215m
Primary Motor Cortex, part 311m
Premotor Cortex14m
Brainstem Upper Motor Neurons15m
Emotional Motor System15m
Control of Facial Expressions22m
Upper Motor Neuron Syndrome8m
Corticospinal and Corticobulbar Pathways, part 118m
Corticospinal and Corticobulbar Pathways, part 214m
2 readings
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
2 practice exercises
Lower Motor Neuronal Control of Movement16m
Upper Motor Neuronal Control of Movement18m
Movement and Motor Control: Understanding the Paradigm of Eye Movements
At this juncture in our exploration of motor control, let’s focus on one of the best studied paradigms for understanding the neural control of movement: the eye movement system.
6 videos (Total 60 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
6 videos
Overview of Eye Movements8m
Conjugate Eye Movements9m
Disconjugate Eye Movements and Eye Movement Physiology10m
Neural Control of Saccades, part 110m
Neural Control of Saccades, part 210m
1 readings
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
1 practice exercises
Eye Movements8m
9
Section
Movement and Motor Control: Modulation of Movement
Next, we will consider two major brain systems that modulate the output of upper motor neuronal circuits: the basal ganglia and the cerebellum. Take note: the output of these systems is NOT directed at lower motor circuits directly; rather, their output engages the motor thalamus and brainstem upper motor neuronal circuits. Thus, the actions of the basal ganglia and cerebellum are to modulate, rather than command, the activities of upper motor neurons. As you study the lessons in this module, appreciate how the basal ganglia and cerebellum function in a somewhat complementary fashion to modulate the initiation and coordination of movement, respectively.
11 videos (Total 154 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes
11 videos
Circuitry of the Basal Ganglia, part 213m
Circuitry of the Basal Ganglia, part 314m
Function of Basal Ganglia Circuitry17m
Basal Ganglia Function In Normal and Abnormal Movement19m
Overview of the Cerebellum, part 111m
Overview of the Cerebellum, part 212m
Cerebellar Circuits, part 111m
Cerebellar Circuits, part 214m
Cerebellar Circuits, part 36m
Cerebellar Function In Normal and Abnormal Movement15m
2 readings
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
2 practice exercises
Modulation of Movement by the Basal Ganglia16m
Modulation of Movement by the Cerebellum10m
Movement and Motor Control: Visceral Motor Control
We conclude our survey of movement and motor control by considering the visceral motor system, perhaps better known as the autonomic nervous system. As you study this lesson, consider how the disparate physiology of the viscera has impact not only on the internal state of the body, but also on implicit processing in the forebrain. We will return to this matter when we consider the neurobiology of emotions near the conclusion of Medical Neuroscience
8 videos (Total 107 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
8 videos
Functional and Anatomical Divisions of the Visceral Motor System, part 213m
Functional and Anatomical Divisions of the Visceral Motor System, part 310m
Central Integration of Visceral Sensory and Motor Signals, part 113m
Central Integration of Visceral Sensory and Motor Signals, part 27m
Hypothalamus, part 114m
Hypothalamus, part 216m
Micturition19m
1 readings
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
1 practice exercises
Visceral Motor System12m
10
Section
The Changing Brain: The Brain Across the Lifespan
This module represents another turning point in Medical Neuroscience. Now that we have surveyed human neuroanatomy and our sensory and motor systems, we are ready to take a step back and consider how this magnificent central nervous system came to be the way that it is. We will also learn how the brain re-wires itself across the lifespan as genetic specification, experience-dependent plasticity and self-organization continue to interact, re-shaping the structure and function of neural circuits throughout the central nervous system.
23 videos (Total 295 min), 3 readings, 3 quizzes
23 videos
Major Forces In Early Brain Development12m
Neurulation11m
Formation of the Early CNS12m
Inductive Signaling In CNS Formation15m
Proliferation and Migration, part 117m
Proliferation and Migration, part 210m
Growth Cones11m
Molecular Signals for Axon Guidance, part 113m
Molecular Signals for Axon Guidance, part 212m
Neurotrophins13m
Neurotrophin Receptors and Synapse Formation11m
Lessons from Studies of Ocular Dominance Columns, part 121m
Lessons from Studies of Ocular Dominance Columns, part 211m
Lessons from Studies of Orientation and Direction Preference, part 115m
Lessons from Studies of Orientation and Direction Preference, part 210m
Lessons from Studies of Orientation and Direction Preference, part 316m
Neurotrophins In Developmental Plasticity12m
Brain Development Across the Lifespan, part 112m
Brain Development Across the Lifespan, part 27m
Functional Plasticity In Cortical Maps16m
Repair and Regeneration, part 113m
Repair and Regeneration, part 26m
3 readings
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
3 practice exercises
Early Brain Development18m
Developmental Plasticity of Neural Circuits In Early Life10m
Development, Repair and Regeneration Across the Lifespan8m
11
Section
Complex Brain Functions: Associational Cortex
It may surprise you to know that in all of our studies of the neural systems for sensation and action, we have yet to properly account for the organization and function of roughly 75% of the entire cerebral mantle. Thus, only 25% of the cerebral cortex is accounted for by the modal sensory and motor cortical areas. The majority of the human cerebral cortex is multi-modal cortex that associates signals derived from one or more modal systems. We now turn our attention to this “associational cortex” as we consider more complex aspects of brain function.
11 videos (Total 169 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
11 videos
Overview of the Associational Cortex13m
Parietal Associational Cortex, part 112m
Parietal Associational Cortex, part 214m
Temporal associational Cortex: Visual Recognition21m
Temporal Associational Cortex: Memory, part 123m
Temporal Associational Cortex: Memory, part 211m
Temporal Associational Cortex: Language, part 114m
Temporal Associational Cortex: Language, part 211m
Frontal Associational Cortex: Working Memory14m
Frontal Associational cortex: Exeutive Function14m
1 readings
Learning Objectives / Recommended Reading10m
1 practice exercises
Associational Cortex20m
12
Section
Complex Brain Functions: Sleep, Emotion and Addiction
In this concluding module of Medical Neuroscience, we will consider the neurobiology of sleep and the neurobiology of emotion, including addiction. Both topics involve explorations of complex, widely distributed systems in the forebrain and brainstem that modulate states of body and brain.
13 videos (Total 205 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes
13 videos
Circadian Rhythms16m
Brain Waves and Sleep Stages15m
Neural Circuits That Govern Sleep and Wakefulness, part 119m
Neural Circuits That Govern Sleep and Wakefulness, part 215m
Sleep Disorders14m
Amygdala and Hippocampus In the Human Brain5m
Neurobiology of Emotion, part 115m
Neurobiology of Emotion, part 213m
Neurobiology of Emotion, part 320m
Neurobiology of Emotion, part 422m
Reward and Addiction, part 112m
Reward and Addiction, part 213m
2 readings
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
Learning Objectives / Recommended Readings10m
2 practice exercises
Sleep and Wakefulness8m
Limbic Forebrain, Emotion, and Addiction10m
13
Section
Comprehensive Final Exam
This module contains materials that will help you prepare for the final challenge in Medical Neuroscience: our clinical case-based, Comprehensive Final Exam.
1 video (Total 22 min), 1 reading, 5 quizzes
1 videos
1 readings
Preparation Notes10m
5 practice exercises
Example Clinical Case Quiz (UNGRADED, 11 questions)22m
Comprehensive Final Exam, part 1 (2 cases, 13 questions)26m
Comprehensive Final Exam, part 2 (2 cases, 7 questions)14m
Comprehensive Final Exam, part 3 (2 cases, 11 questions)22m
Comprehensive Final Exam, part 4 (2 cases, 12 questions)24m
Closing Remarks
Please allow me a few more moments of your time to express my thanks for all your efforts to make it through Medical Neuroscience, and to wish you well on all your future endeavors!
1 video (Total 6 min)
1 videos
4.9
56%
83%
Top Reviews
By KR•Dec 22nd 2016
I have not really taken any Neuroscience courses and I have to say this was very challenging with my already full-time load at school but I did it! Yay! I love Dr. White he is an awesome professor!
By CN•May 8th 2018
This is a top tier course, with medical knowledge presented in a way that's easy to follow. You can see the effort and dedication shown by Dr. White and his team. Thanks for such an amazing job.
Instructor
Leonard E. White, Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorAbout Duke University
Duke University has about 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students and a world-class faculty helping to expand the frontiers of knowledge. The university has a strong commitment to applying knowledge in service to society, both near its North Carolina campus and around the world.
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