Cellular and Molecular Biology

BEHAVIORAL NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY

BEHAVIORAL NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY

Academic year 2019/2020

• Basi anatomiche e neuroendocrine del comportamento (MFN1533)
  Corso di Studi in Scienze Naturali

Sommario del corso

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

Course objectives

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING ABILITY
At the end of the course the student must demonstrate that he has acquired the knowledge of the correct scientific terminology in the anatomical and endocrine field and the ability to understand the topics in specialized scientific articles.

ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING The student must have acquired the ability to carry out a critical examination of the treated neuroendocrine and behavioral processes. Knowledge of the most used experimental models in the study of behavioral neuroendocrinology, with in-depth analysis on the circuits that underlie behavior.

JUDGMENT AUTONOMY
the student must be able to comment and discuss in a critical and autonomous way the teaching issues dealt with in the scientific literature and demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the role of hormones on the modulation of nerve circuits and in the modulation of complex behaviors such as reproductive behavior or social behavior.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
The student must demonstrate that he / she has acquired the ability to expose the acquired concepts in an appropriate manner and must also be able to clearly present the data shown in scientific articles related to the topics of the course.

LEARNING ABILITY
the student must be able to understand and process the concepts and data present in scientific articles related to the issues presented in the teaching.

Results of learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student should be able to demonstrate its ability to critically discuss experimental results in the field of behavioral neuroendocrinology and the ability to choose the most appropriate experimental model for the study of a certain behavior.

Course delivery

The teaching topics are developed during the 24 hours of lectures (4 CFU) using powepoint presentations and occasionally movies, with direct references to the experiments conducted.

Learning assessment methods

CAUTION !!!

following the COVID-19 emergency and during the persistent situation of health restrictions, the examination will be conducted orally (including the discussion of an article) via the webex telematic platform. Further information will be given later.

- The exam is a written test with multiple choice questions. The maximum score attributable to the written test is 27.

- On a date following the written test (depending on the number of participants in the written test) those who have received at least 18 in writing will be able to critically discuss an experimental scientific article (not a review), chosen from among those proposed by the teacher (collected in the Works folder to be commented on for the exam) or chosen by the student as long as it falls within the discipline The student must report the chosen article to the teacher (indicating the subfolder, the year and the first author) and wait for confirmation from the teacher himself that the article has not already been chosen by some other colleague. The articles already chosen have the writing NON DISPONIBILE.

The student will have to prepare a short presentation (no more than 15 minutes) of the article, above all highlighting the critical aspects of the experiment, data and / or interpretation given by the authors. The presentation (in powerpoint or pdf format) must be sent by email to the teacher at least one day before writing.

- The presentation of the article is worth a maximum of 3 points.

Program

Neuroanatomical basis.

• Neurohistology,
• The hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal system.
• The limbic system and the reward circuit.
• Control of nervous circuits:neurotransmitters,neuropeptides, hormones.

General outlines of neuroendocrinology.

• Membrane and nuclear receptors.
• Gonadal steroids' action: development,differentiation, dimorphism.
• Neurosteroids.
• Endocrine disruptors.
• Thyroid hormones and nervous system: development, differentiation, and photoperiodism.
• The olfactory Pheromones and neuroendocrine mechanisms.
• The GnRH system and the control of puberty.
• Steroid hormones, neuropeptides and stress.
• Behavior and Epigenetics.
• Aggressive behaviour.
• Feeding behaviour

An Introduction to Behavioral Endocrinology
Autore: Nelson, R.J. and Kriegsfeld, L.Edizione: 5th
Casa editrice: Sinauer Ass.
ISBN-13:978-1605353203
Url: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Behavioral-Endocrinology-Randy-Nelson/dp/1605353205

Class schedule

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