2020-2021 / GBIO0005-1

Introduction to cognitive neurosciences

Duration

26h Th, 26h Pr

Number of credits

 Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Engineering5 crédits 

Lecturer

Gilles Vandewalle

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the second semester

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The course covers fundamental aspects of the nervous system. It focuses on macroscopic and system-level aspects of the nervous system but still provides molecular and cellular basis.
The course is divided in 10 chapters:

  • Introduction - general principles
  • Neuroanatomy
  • Neuroimaging techniques
  • Somatosensory system
  • Visual system
  • Attention
  • Memory
  • Auditory system and langage
  • Sleep and wakefulness
  • Diseases
Each chapter covers notions and basic principles that are often applicable to aspect that are not covered. Practical courses are also included in the form of presentation by members of the lab of M. Vandewalle, short presentations by the students of the course and the demonstration of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) experiment.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

The student will assimilate the main bases of the functioning of the nervous system, without a detailed understanding of it. He will be able to explain a behaviour on the basis of the sub-systems sustaining it. Through the practical part of the course, he will get a better idea of the type of work one could do within a biomedical orientation.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

No prerequisites
 

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Participative oral lectures: explanation of presented slides while students are encouraged to interrupt and ask questions.
Practical courses (mandatory):

  • Oral presentations by members of the lab of Mr. Vandewalle; various themes most often related to the projects of each researcher; the goal is to give an overview of biomedical research to the students
  • Short oral presentations by groups of 3 students of a recent publication for which engineer work played an important role.
  • the group is divided in groups of 5-9 students and each group takes part to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) experiment
 

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Virtual teaching when mandatory; Face-to-face teaching when allowed with possibilities of concomitant virtual teaching.  
Slide are writen in English and presented in French (they could be presented in English if requested). Courses are recorded and podcasted. Podcasts remain the property of Mr. Vandewalle and cannot be shared on internet or social networks. Podcasting will be stopped if the latter rule is not respected.
Practical course (mandatory)

Organisational adjustments related to the current health context

Recommended or required readings

No written notes are given to the students. Copies of the slides are e-mail to all students before each course and students are encouraged to take notes. Courses are recorded and podcasted. Podcasts remain the property of Mr. Vandewalle and cannot be shared on internet or social networks. Podcasting will be stopped if the latter rule is not respected.
No mandatory reading other than slides and personal notes.
Recommended reading:
- Principles of Neural Science, 5th edition, eds. Kandel et al. (2013), Mc Graw Hill Companies

Assessment methods and criteria

Below you will find information on the evaluation methods planned for in-person and remote exams as well as those planned for hybrid sessions. Depending on how the health crisis evolves, the chosen method will be communicated to you no later than one month before the start of the exam session.

Any session :

- In-person

oral exam

- Remote

oral exam

- If evaluation in "hybrid"

preferred in-person


Additional information:

Oral examination.
The student picks random questions, prepare his answers for 20 min before being interrogated for 20 min. The picked questions set the basis of a discussion that can cover all aspects of the course. Questions may be prepared with the student course notes. Course diagrams may be used to respond to the questions. The student must also be able to locate different parts of the brain in an atlas (3 structures, of a list of about 10 given prior to the exam). Participation to the practical courses will be taken into account for 20% the final mark. The evaluation of a short oral presentation done by each student will be included in these 20%.

Work placement(s)

N/A

Organizational remarks

Virtual teaching when mandatory; Face-to-face teaching when allowed with possibilities of concomitant virtual teaching. Mr. Vandewalle communicates via emails with all students and/or the class delegate.s.

Contacts

Gilles Vandewalle
GIGA-Centre de Recherches du Cyclotron-In Vivo Imaging
Bât. B30, Université de Liège - Sart Tilman
8 allée du Six Août, B-4000 Liège, Belgique
T: +32-4366-2367
F: +32-4366-2946
gilles.vandewalle@uliege.be