Study Programmes 2016-2017
| PSYC0063-1 | ||||||||
| Behavioural neuroendocrinology | ||||||||
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Duration :
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| 30h Th | ||||||||
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Number of credits :
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Lecturer :
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| 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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Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :
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| Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program | ||||||||
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Learning unit contents :
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| SyIt 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 of these questions.
Endocrinology studies hormones, the 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 and 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 Basic principles - Neuroendocrine systems and feedback mechanisms - Functions - Hormone types and receptors - Synthesis pathways Techniques Control of sexual behavior - The complexity of sexual behavior - Principles of hormonal control -Circuits controlling sexual behavior - Example of one mechanism of hormonal control - Human sexual behavior Sex differences - Sex determination - Sexual differentiation of brain and behavior in animal models - Sexual differentiation of brain and behavior in humans |
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Learning outcomes of the learning unit :
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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 - understand how hormones regulate complex behaviors - understand how hormones influence the establishment of sex differences - critically analyze a research paper in neuroendocrinology - critically describe and analyze scientific results shown in class or similar - reason about new problems based on class material |
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Prerequisite knowledge and skills :
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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 the teacher will present the main notions of one chapter of the book. The teacher will put emphasis on the development of scientific reasoning and the ability to undertand how prevailing theories/model have been formulated.
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 open questions to evaluate
1/ the understanding of major concepts discussed in class. 2/ the ability to describe scientific results and discuss them along with the concepts seen in class |
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Work placement(s) :
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Organizational remarks :
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| The course will take place on wednesdays from 13:30am to 15:30pm during the first semester in the meeting room of the GIGA neurosciences (B36, 2nd floor, room 1/50A) or in the seminar room 11 (B31) depending on the availability of the meeting room of the GIGA Neurosciences.
The 2 first (Sept 21, Sept28 and Oct 5) as well as the 3 last lectures will be given at the GIGA neurosciences. The other lectures will be given eith at the GIGA neurosciences or at the B31. The information will provided at a later stage. The lectures of Oct 12, Nov 2 and Nov 16 will have to be rescheduled. |
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Contacts :
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| Dr Charlotte Cornil, charlotte.cornil@ulg.ac.be (04/3665966) | ||||||||