Cellular and Molecular Biology

NEUROANATOMY AND IMAGING

NEUROANATOMY AND IMAGING

Academic year 2018/2019

Sommario del corso

• Course objectives
• Results of learning outcomes
• Course delivery
• Learning assessment methods
• Support activities
• Program
• Suggested textbooks and readings
• Teaching tools

Course objectives

This teaching contributes to the learning objectives included into the Neurobiological area of the Master in Cellular and Molecular Biology - Biologia Cellulare e Molecolare, providing integrated knowledge of biological systems and complex organisms;

it also enables students to deepen their knowledge and abilities in the human neuromorphology

Results of learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding skills
At the end of the teaching the student should:
- Describe the anatomical and functional structures of the nervous system
- to acquire an advanced scientific training in basic neuroscience
- Link the genesis of pathological processes with the analysis of complex systems (tissues and organs, organism).

- Ability to use software image manipulation programs and image analysis.
- Understanding the characteristics of the digital image, the principles of morphometry and statistical interpretation

Judgment autonomy
At the end of the course the student should:
- to integrate knowledge gained in neuroanatomy fields with data obtained from scientific literature
- Ability to choose between various alternatives for solving problems of image analysis

Communicative Skills
At the end of the course the student should:
- Communicate neuroscience knowledge at the dissemination or specialist level

- Presentation of the results in statistical tables

Course delivery

The teaching is articulated in 40 hours of formal in‐class lecture time for the Neuroanatomy module and in 56 hours of formal in‐class lecture time and work solving practical exercises for the Imaging module.

Practical exercises of Macro-Anatomy are provided, where possible.

Learning assessment methods

Neuroanatomy module:

The learning assessment is determined on the basis of a written examination (1 hour) conducted with: true/false multiple choice questions (8 questions, total 8 points), completion of short sentences (5 sentences, total 5 points), anatomical structures figures to be recognized (4 figures, total 4 points), and one open question (total 0-4 points). The examination will focus on all teaching arguments. The maximum score is 21 points and will be converted in thirtieths (the maximum grade will be 30 cum laude).

Upon request, students can take an integrative oral examination to improve (a couple of points maximum) the results of the written test.

Imaging module:

The teaching grade is determined on the basis of the results of a series of laboratory and home works and a final PowerPoint presentation of a plug-in of the Image J program that was not discussed during the laboratory. The evaluation is based on the formal presentation of data and on the number of laboratory and home works delivered. The evaluation will be: sufficient (if the number is 60% of the total), good (if the number is 75% of the total), excellent (if the number is more than the 75%). The final evaluation (in thirtieths) is including the public presentation of the plug in.

The final grade (in thirtieths) will be the weighted arithmetic mean of the points obtained in the two modules.

Support activities

For the Imaging module weekly homework sets will be assigned, and their solution will be posted and (if time allows) discussed in class.

Program

Neuroanatomy module:

Introduction to the course. General and Anatomical Nomenclature.

Endocrine system: hormone and receptor. Hypothalamus, pituitary gland. Epiphysis. Thyroid. Parathyroids. Pancreas. Adrenal gland. Gonads.


The integument Apparatus: skin, skin appendages, vascularization and innervation, the sensorial receptors.

Nervous system: identification, nomenclature, development, spinal cord. Brainstem, cerebellum; diencephalon; telencephalon (cortex and basal ganglia). General sensorial pathway. The special senses. Motor tract. Cranial Nerves. Spinal nerves. Autonomic nervous system.

Imaging module:

Image theory. The digital image: limits, future developments, manipulation. Shooting techniques. Limits and possibilities of correction. The programs for image manipulation. The open access programs GIMP and Image J Standardization of imaging. Examples of the use of Image J: morphometric analysis, fractional area, densitometry, three-dimensional reconstructions.

Martini et al. Anatomia Umana, IV edizione - Edises;
Seeley et al. Anatomia, II edizione - Idelson Gnocchi

Seeley's - Anatomy & Physiology - Mc Graw Hill Editors

Saladin - Human Anatomy - Mc Graw Hill Editors

Gilroy - Anatomy - An essential textbook - Thieme Editor

Class schedule

• Teaching materials
• Exams and finals
• Go to Moodle
• Visit the forums