Disorders and Diseases of the Brain

ICOS - 325
Fall 2001
Monday and Wednesday, 6:15 - 7:30 PM
Maguire 103

 Course Syllabus

Course Directors: Rachelle Toman and John Agnew
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ben Walker

 Prerequisites: First semester introductory biology (Biol 003)
Recommendations: Introductory psychology and physiological psychology.

  This course is designed to provide a survey of neuroscience and some of the diseases and disorders that affect the brain. During the couse of the semester, we will review neuroanatomy and cellular neuroscience. With this base of knowledge, we will examine several diseases and disorders that affect the cognitive processes of the brain. The topics will be discussed both in terms of the underlying cellular and molecular causes as well as the observed cognitive effects. Instructors will assign relevant readings for each topic.

   Grading will consist of 3 tests (each 20% of the final grade), attendance and class participation (10% of the final grade) and a paper up to 10 pages on a topic of the student's choice (10% for a rough draft, 20% of the final paper). For the paper, the student will work with one of the instructors to select and critically review the relevant articles from the literature and suggest future directions for research in that field.

 Contact Information:
   Rachelle Toman: tomanr@georgetown.edu
   John Agnew: jagnew@giccs.georgetown.edu
   Dr. Ben Walker: walkerbr@georgetown.edu

Email all the instructors

Email all the students

DateTopic Instructor
Wednesday 29 August Introduction John Agnew and Rachelle Toman
Monday 3 September No Class - Labor Day
Wednesday 5 September Basic Cellular Neurobiology Penelope Kuhn
Monday 10 September Action Potentials Rana Al-Hallaq
Wednesday 12 September Synaptic Transmission Rana Al-Hallaq
Monday 17 September Apoptosis and Disease Rachelle Toman
Wednesday 19 September Neuroanatomy -- Sensory Systems Brent Richards
Monday 24 September Neuroanatomy -- Motor Systems Jim Lynskey
Wednesday 26 September Neuroanatomy -- Cognitive Systems Nicole Dietz
Monday 1 October Test 1
Wednesday 3 October Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders Ivy Estabrooke
Monday 8 October No Class - Columbus Day
Wednesday 10 October Parkinson's Disease and Huntington's Disease Kwame Brown
Monday 15 October Epilepsy Paul Pazdalski
Wednesday 17 October Neuroimmune Diseases Kim Rivas-Plata
Monday 22 October Infectious Nervous System Diseases Penelope Kuhn
Wednesday 24 October Neurotrauma
(Paper topics due)		 Jim Lynskey
Monday 29 October Sleep Disorders Ivy Estabrooke
Wednesday 31 October Test 2
Monday 5 November Autism Peter Turkeltaub
Wednesday 7 November Reading Disorders John Agnew
Monday 12 November Aphasia
(Rough Draft Due)		 Nicole Dietz
Wednesday 14 November Anxiety Disorders Rachel Nosheny
Monday 19 November Depression and Mood Disorders Cherie Marvel
Wednesday 21 November No Class - Thanksgiving
Monday 26 November Schizophrenia Cherie Marvel
Wednesday 28 November Psychoactive Drugs Paul Pazdalski
Monday 3 December Drug Addiction Paul Pazdalski
Wednesday 5 December Test 3
Saturday 15 December Papers Due