PSYCH-UA 9025.SY1 Cognitive Neuroscience Spring 2020 Instructor Information ● Dr. Jacqueline Rushby ● Consultation by appointment ● [email protected] (Please allow at least 24 hours for your instructor to respond to your emails) Course Information • Pre-Requisite: PSYCH-UA 1/Introduction to Psychology • Wednesdays: 3:30 – 6:30pm • Room 301, NYU Sydney Academic Centre. Science House: 157-161 Gloucester Street, The Rocks NSW 2000 This course aims to provide students with a broad understanding of the foundations of Cognitive Neuroscience including dominant theories of the neural underpinnings of a variety of cognitive processes and the research that has led to those theories. In doing so, students will also learn about the goals of Cognitive Neuroscience research and the methods that are being employed to reach these goals. Course Materials Required Textbooks & Materials It is a course expectation that you have done the required reading and have prepared sufficiently to discuss them in class. ● Postle (2015) Essentials of Cognitive Neuroscience 1st Edition, Wiley Press. E-text and E-book available on Wiley website. ● Additional Reading available on NYU Classes Supplemental Textbooks & Materials Not required to purchase; Available on NYU Classes (alternatively: just enter the PMID at the Pubmed website) ● Karnath, H.O., et al. (2011). The anatomy underlying acute versus chronic spatial neglect: a longitudinal study. Brain, 134, 903-912. PMID 21156661 Cognitive Neuroscience Page 2 of 10 ● Bunge S., Kahn I. (2009). Cognition: An Overview of Neuroimaging Techniques. ● Isherwood Z.J., et al. (2017). The tuning of human visual cortex to variations in the 1/fα amplitude spectra and fractal properties of synthetic noise images, NeuroImage, 146, 642-657. PMID: 27742601 ● Almedia-Santos, A.F., et al. (2019). Social isolation impairs the persistence of social recognition memory by disturbing the glutamatergic tonus and the olfactory bulb- dorsal hippocampus coupling. Scientific Reports 9:473. PMID: 30679583 ● Cohen, J.R., et al. (2010). A unique adolescent response to reward prediction errors. Nature Neuroscience, 13, 669-671. PMID: 20473290 ● Davidson, R.J., Sutton, S.K. (1995). Affective neuroscience: the emergence of a discipline. Current Opinion in Neurobiology. PMID: 7620310 ● Fonaryova Key, AP., et al. (2005). Linking brainwaves to the brain: An ERP primer. Developmental Neuropsychology, 27, 183-215. Course Overview and Goals Upon Completion of this Course, students will have: • Knowledge about major Cognitive Neuroscience domains and current research in these areas. • Demonstrate a broad understanding of a body of knowledge and theoretical concepts. • Knowledge of how physical, social and developmental factors impact cognitive function. • Develop understanding of social cognition deficits in various clinical populations. • Demonstrate the skills of critical thinking, oral communication and written expression. Course Requirements Quizzes There will be three in-class quizzes. Each quiz will be composed of three parts: 1) multiple choice; 2) short identifications; 3) one essay. There will sometimes be a choice for both the identifications and essays (e.g., answer 1 of the 2 essays). Your lowest quiz score of the 3 will be dropped. There will be a final exam that will be cumulative and similar in structure to the quizzes. Literature Critique: The goal of the critique is to get students to read original research articles with a focus on the methods used to investigate the question under consideration. Students must review two articles that address a common topic, but use two different methods (e.g., patient study and functional imaging study; single cell recording and patient study). The paper will be a maximum of 3-pages (double-spaced); a detailed description of the assignment will be provided in class. It is highly recommended that students discuss their planned topic with the instructor at least 3 weeks prior to the due date. Cognitive Neuroscience Page 2 of 10 Presentation Each student will present a paper in class – duration 15 minutes. The main point is to introduce students to reading and criticising empirical research papers and to train presenting papers in a concise manner. The presentation should follow the structure of the paper, i.e. include an introduction to the topic, explain the methods, followed by results and discussion. The presenting student will prepare 3-5 questions about the paper to discuss in class. Students are expected to read the article that will be discussed before class in order to be able to participate in the discussion of the paper. All students are welcome to bring their own question for discussion. Final Exam There will be a final exam that will be cumulative and similar in structure to the quizzes. Grading of Assignments The grade for this course will be determined according to the following formula: Assignments/Activities % of Final Grade Due Best 2 of 3 quizzes Quiz 1 Wed 4 Mar (Wk 5) 50% (25% each) Quiz 2 Wed 8 Apr (Wk 10) Quiz 3 Wed 6 May (Wk 14) Class presentation 10% Ongoing Literature Critique 10% 8:00pm, Tue 21 Apr (Wk 12) 3:00 – 5:00pm, Final Exam 30% Wed 20 May (Exam Wk) For this course, your total numerical score, calculated from the components listed above, is converted to a letter grade without rounding. Extra credit: Site policy does not allow grading of work outside of the assignments included in the syllabus. The final grade will only be calculated from the assessment components listed here and no other work, whether additional or substituted, is permitted. Failure to submit or fulfill any required course component results in failure of the class Letter Grades Letter grades for the entire course will be assigned as follows: Cognitive Neuroscience Page 3 of 10 Letter Grade Explanation of Grade Excellent performance showing a thorough knowledge and A understanding of the topics of the course; all work includes clear, logical explanations, insight, and original thought and reasoning. Good performance with general knowledge and understanding of the B topics; all work includes general analysis and coherent explanations showing some independent reasoning, reading and research. Satisfactory performance with some broad explanation and reasoning; C the work will typically demonstrate an understanding of the course on a basic level. Passable performance showing a general and superficial D understanding of the course’s topics; work lacks satisfactory insight, analysis or reasoned explanations. Unsatisfactory performance in all assessed criteria. Work is F unfinished or unsubmitted. Grade Conversions For this course your total numerical score, calculated from the components listed above, correspond to the following letter grades: A 90 to 100 A- 86 to < 90 B+ 82 to < 86 B 72 to < 82 B- 68 to < 72 C+ 64 to < 68 C 54 to <64 C- 50 to < 54 D+ 45 to < 50 D 40 to < 45 F 0 to < 40 Cognitive Neuroscience Page 4 of 10 Course Schedule Week/Date Topic Reading Week 1 What is Cognitive Neuroscience? • POS 1 5-Feb-20 Week 2 History and Principles of Neuroscience • POS 2 • Bunge S., Kahn I. (2009) 12-Feb-20 Gross Functional Neuroanatomy Week 3 Methods 1: Lesion 19-Feb-20 Methods 2: Physiology Week 4 Perception • POS 3 & 4 Visual System POS 5 • 26-Feb-20 Isherwood ZJ., et al. (2017) Guest Lecturer: Branka Spehar Week 5 Recognition • POS 9 4-Mar-20 QUIZ 1 (25%) Week 6 • POS 10 & 11 Learning & Memory • POS 12 11-Mar-19 Week 7 SEMESTER BREAK – NO CLASS 16 – 22 Mar Week 8 Motor Control • POS 7 25-Mar-20 Week 9 Field Trip: Behavioural Neuroscience Laboratories; University of New South Wales • Almedia-Santos AF., et al. 2019 1-Apr-20 Week 10 Attention • POS 6 & 8 • Karnath, H.O., et al. (2011) 8-Apr-20 QUIZ 2 (25%) Cognitive Neuroscience Page 5 of 10 Week/Date Topic Reading Week 11 • POS 13 Working Memory • Fonaryova Key, AP., et al. (2005). 15-Apr-20 Week 12 • POS 14 Cognitive Control 22-Apr-20 Literature Critique due (10%) Week 13 • POS 15 Reward & Decision Making • Cohen, J.R., et al. (2010) 29-Apr-20 Week 14 • POS 17 Emotion • Davidson, R.J., Sutton, S.K. (1995) 6-May-20 QUIZ 3 (25%) Week 15 • POS 18 Language 13-May-20 Catchup and Review Exam Week Final Exam, 3:00 – 5:00pm 20-May-20 Cognitive Neuroscience Page 6 of 10 Course Policies Submission of Work Assignments (excluding in-class presentations and exams) must be submitted electronically via NYU Classes. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm that the work has been successfully been uploaded. In the unlikely event that a submission to Classes fails, students must immediately submit the work to their instructor as well as the Academic Programs Coordinator via email before the original submission deadline accompanied by an explanation of the issue. Please note that the work will not be graded until it is uploaded to NYU Classes. All in-class presentations and exams must be completed during the scheduled class time. An assessment component is considered completed when the student has met all the terms for that assessment component as outlined by the instructor. All written assignments must be submitted at the due date and time outlined in the syllabus. An assessment component receives a penalty of 2 points on the 100-point scale (for the assignment) for each day the work is late (including weekend days) up to a maximum of 10 points. If the work is completed beyond five days after the due date, it receives a mark of zero, and the student is not entitled to feedback for that piece of work. Because failure to submit or fulfil any required assessment component will result in failure of the course, it is crucial for students to complete every assignment even when it will receive a mark of zero. Extensions Any request for approval to submit an assignment after the due date must be received by the instructor, in writing, prior to the due date.