Syllabus
Course Outline
Course Requirements
Grading Procedures

Professor: Amy Jo Stavnezer
Office: Morgan 109
Office hours: Tuesday 1:30-3:30, Wednesday 3-5, Friday 11-12, or by appointment
Contact info: ajstavnezer@wooster.edu, x2215

Required Textbook:
Squire, L.R., and Kandel, E.R. (2000).  Memory: From Mind to Molecules.  NY: W.H. Freeman and Co.  – available at the Bookstore in bound photocopy format

Supplemental readings will be on electronic reserve through the library website.

 

Course Outline:

Date	Topic	Reading
Aug 27	Introduction to the Course and Text
29	History of Neurobiology of Learning and Memory; Your Questions	Chapter 1
Sept 3	Neuron and Brain Primer	p. 23-36
5	Habituation and Sensitization in Aplysia	p. 36-57
10	How to Read a Scientific paper	Strayer and Johnston (2001) Dual-task studeis of simulated driving and conversing on a cellular telephone
12	Classical Conditioning in Aplysia and Drosophila	p. 57-67; Tully (1987) Drosophila learning and memory revisited
17	Declarative Memory	Chapter 4; Loftus (1997) Creating false memories
19	Brain Systems for Declarative memory, Working Memory and Short-term memory	p 83-87; Goldman-Rakic (1992) Working memory and the mind
24	Long-term memory and Neuroimaging	p. 87-91, 99-102; Schacter (1997) The cognitive neuroscience of memory
26	Exam #1
Oct 1	Amnesia	p. 91-99; Squire and Zola (1997) Amnesia, memory and brain systems
3	Role of the Hippocampus in memory and amnesia	p. 102-107; Kim and Fanselow (1992) Modality-specific retrograde amnesia; Morris (1982) Place navigation impaired
8	Learning in amnesic patients	p. 157-164; Bayley and Squire (2002) Medial temporal lobe amnesia; Xu and Corkin (2001) H.M. revisits the Tower of Hanoi
10	View the movie Momento
15	No Class - Fall Break
17	Synaptic mechanisms of learning	Chapter 6
22	More on LTP	Morris (1989) Synaptic plasticity and learning
24	Memory consolidation	Chapter 7; Toni, Bucher, Nikonenko et al. (1999) LTP promotes formation of multiple spine synapses
29	Sleep and consolidation	Smith (1995) Sleep states and memory processes; Graves, Pack and Abel (2001) Sleep and memory
31	Exam #2
Nov 5	Influence of emotion on memory	p. 167-173; Cahill and McGaugh (1998) Mechanisms of emotional arousal
7	Stress and memory	Diamond et al. (1996) Pscyhological stress; Bremner (1999) Alteraltion in brain structure
12	Experience and Individuality	p. 196-201; Rosenzweig and Bennett (1996) Psychobiology of plasticity
14	Aging	p. 201-206
19	Alzheimer's disease	p. 206-215
21	Alzheimer's disease
26	Exam #3
28	No Class - Thanksgiving
Dec 3	Final paper discussions
5	Final paper discussions

 

Course Requirements:
This course will vary between lecture and discussion formats.  For each new topic area we will begin with a lecture so that everyone can become equally familiar with the theories and research.  This will be an extremely important time of learning for you, as these theories will be used as the basis of discussions in the following classes.  Attendance in this course is imperative to your learning process, and will factor into your final grade. Class will be filled with questions and discussions that cannot be properly understood by borrowing notes. Following the introductory lectures, you will carry the main responsibility for discussion and question presentation in class.  For each class a different group of people will be expected to "lead" a discussion or debate (you will have guidance, don't get nervous). This includes preparing questions and discussion points to which the entire class will respond.

It is also important that you come to class prepared to ask questions and discuss the topics of the day when you are not the chosen presenter.  The only way that this can properly occur is if you have read all required material. This does not mean simply skimming through the pictures while walking to class.  It means reading all of the information, taking notes on concepts that are unclear, formulating questions for clarification, and relating previous knowledge to new concepts.  A written summary or response paper will be due at the beginning of class when supplemental readings are assigned.  This whole process is known as ACTIVE learning, and by using it, you will master our topic of discussion more thoroughly.

Attendance: Your attendance is required as this is a discussion-based course, and you can not participate if you are not present.  You will be permitted 3 allowable absences (these do not include exam days) throughout the semester, invalid absences after those 3 will be reason for dismissal from the course.

Exams:  You will have 3 exams throughout the semester.  Please look over the course outline now and note the dates for these exams, as they are not flexible.  The exams will include information from the text, the supplemental readings and from classroom discussion.  The format will be a combination of multiple choice, short answer and essay questions.

Writing Requirements: You will complete 1 paper (8-10 pages) on a self-developed topic, approved by me, in this course.  I would like you to find a topic or idea that interests you and is obviously related to some aspect of the neurobiology of learning and memory.  We will discuss the requirements of this final paper further as the semester develops.  You will also be required to write a brief summary of the articles that we read throughout the semester.

Code of Academic Integrity: It is expected that you will fully abide by the Code of Academic Integrity as written in the College Catalog and Scots Key.  The placement of your name, student number or signature on all assignments and tests will represent your pledge that the Code was upheld.

 

Grading Procedures:

Exam #1                                                          20%

Exam #2                                                          20%

Exam #3                                                          20%

Final Paper                                                      20%

Reading summaries                                         10%

In-class article presentations                          10%

Your final grade will be determined by the average of all scores above, weighted as indicated.

A	93+	B-	80-82.5	D	60-69.5
A-	90-92.5	C+	77-79.5	F	below 60
B+	87-89.5	C	73-76.5
B	83-86.5	C-	70-72.5