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| PSYC0063-1 | Behavioural neuroendocrinology
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| Duration : | 30h Th |
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| Number of credits : |
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| Lecturer : | Charlotte Cornil |
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Language(s) of instruction :
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| French language |
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Organisation and examination :
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| Teaching in the first semester, review in January |
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Course contents :
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| It is largely accepted that athletes taking anabolic steroids can become aggressive, that women experience mood swings during the course of their menstrual cycle or that men and women are biologically made for different intellectual activities. But is it really true? Are there some biological bases supporting these beliefs. This course will try to address some questions.
Endocrinology studies hormones, these chemical messengers that are secreted in the bloodstream and delivered virtually to any cell of in the body. The brain is a target for hormones but it is also a source of hormones. The brain is probably the most active endocrine organ and the one that produces the highest variety of hormones. Neuroendocrinolgy is the study of the interaction between the nervous system and the endocrine system. In particular, neuroendocrinology investigates the neural control of hormonal secretions and the action of hormones on neurophysiological and behavioral processes. This integrated field of research is at the junction between endocrinology, development and adult neurobiology to understand the regulation of physiological and behavioral processes at the level of the whole organism. This course is not an exhaustive presentation of all hormones and all their actions on brain and behavior. Rather, after a general overview of the (neuro)endocrine system, it will illustrate the main principles of hormonal action on brain and behavior using selected examples. In order to help students understand how the current models were established, this course will also present the common techniques used in behavioral neuroendocrinology by means of concrete experimental examples.
Table of contents
- Introduction
- Techniques
- Endocrine system, synthesis and mode of action of action of hormones
- Control of sexual behavior
- Sexual differences (sex determination and sexual differentiation of brain and behavior)- animal models
Sexual differences (sex determination and sexual differentiation of brain and behavior)- human models |
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Learning outcomes of the course :
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| At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- understand basic principles of neuroendocrinology (mode of action of hormones, feedback systems, ...) and the fundamental role played by hormones the survival of organisms
- how hormones regulate complex behaviors
- how hormones influence the establishment of sex differences |
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Prerequisites and co-requisites/ Recommended optional programme components :
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| Passive knowledge of English (reading only) |
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Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
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| Seminars of 2 hours each during which 2 the teacher will present the main notions of one chapter of the book. Depending on the number of students registered for this course, presentations by students will also be organized. Discussion with the students is encouraged. |
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Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
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| Face-to-face |
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Recommended or required readings :
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| This course is based on chapters 1 to 6 of "An introduction to behavioral endocrinology" by Randy J. Nelson (4th edition) |
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Assessment methods and criteria :
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| A final written exam will be organized with multiple choice question to evaluate basic knowledge and open questions to evaluate the understanding of major concepts discussed in class. |
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Work placement(s) :
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Organizational remarks :
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| The course will take place every Thursday from 10:30am to 12:30pm during the first semester in the meeting room of the GIGA neurosciences (B36, 2nd floor, room 1/50A). |
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Contacts :
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| Dr Charlotte Cornil, charlotte.cornil@ulg.ac.be (04/3665966) |
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