Cellular and Molecular Biology

NEUROPHYSIOLOGY

NEUROPHYSIOLOGY

Academic year 2022/2023

Sommario del corso

• Course objectives
• Results of learning outcomes
• Course delivery
• Learning assessment methods
• 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 knowledge and applicative abilities. In particular, the course is focused on the relevant issues of Neurophysiology and aims to foster basic knowledge of students on cellular neurophysiology and electrical signals transmission as well as integrated knowledge of neurophysiology. Additional objective points to a quantitative analysis of some conceptual and technical approaches to neurophysiological mechanisms including specific hands on in modern Neuroscience labs using cutting edge techniques in the field by means of invited seminars.

For each item, students learn how to highlight the specific scientific question, to interpret data, to discuss the experimental approaches employed by the authors.

The course is organized in 6 ECST and aims to provide theoretical, technical and methodological background to critically investigate nervous system functions.

The main objective is to build a solid background on cellular and integrated neurophysiology in order to develop the ability to critically analyze and interpret the results of the related scientific literature. 

Results of learning outcomes

• Have strong knowledge of the cellular and integrated neurophysiology 
• Re-analyzing information
• Critically evaluating scientific publications and media reports
• Selecting robust information from a variety of sources
• Extending and applying knowledge of cellular neurophysiology to new contexts
• Making reasoned predictions and generalizations from experimental evidence and theoretical information
• Drawing valid conclusions and giving explanations supported by evidence/justification
• Drawing on knowledge and understanding of cellular and integrated neurophysiology to make accurate statements, describe complex information, provide detailed explanations and integrate knowledge
• Discuss the strenght and limitations of the results published on research papers, eventually identifying sources of errors and biases
• Communicating cellular neurophysiology findings and concepts fully, appropriately and using a variety of different modalities 

Course delivery

All lessons will be delivered in presence. Alternative online teaching (by streaming) may be introduced according to the University recommendations related to the status of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teaching will be provided in the form of: 

• Lessons and discussion on the program topics in presence. Attention is given to focused scientific questions, starting from the knowledge provided by the scientific literature. Experimental approaches, results and conclusions are deeply analyzed. 
• Recordings of webex lessons uploaded to the Moodle platform.
• Video-recorded lessons covering the entire program uploaded to the Moodle platform.

Supplementary activities

• Students will be assigned specific readings on selected topics that will be presented and discussed together. 
• Practical small group workshops: students will be required to work in group to solve specific problems concerning the lectures topics
• Practical Ca2+ imaging analyses using ImageJ

Learning assessment methods

Exams will take place exclusively in presence with the only exception of students who self-declare, in relation to Covid-19, personal fragility or positivity.
Remote examinations may be introduced according to the University recommendations related to the status of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Examinations will be based on material covered in lectures, assigned readings, on site activities and at home assignments.

The learning assessment will be held in presence or, in case of COVID emergency, online in oral form.

Module Prof Vicini.

• At home assignments: This at-home assignment will refer to specific topics of the course. The students will choose 1-2 selected questions 2-3 selected question and present a written assay (2 pages max for each topic).
• Practical activities:

small group workshop. Students will be required to solve problems and present their solutions within the 2h of teaching.

Ca2+ signals analyses

At home assignments and practical activities will give rise to 10 points to the final grade of final exam.

Modules Prof Buffo; Prof Fiorio Pla; Prof Munaron

Oral exam – This exam will be an oral exam (in presence or ebex depending in sanitary conditions) based on the topics presented during the course. The maximum grade will be 22 points to the final grade of final exam 

Any additional points obtained by the practical and written assignments will be added to the final exam of the first exam session. Grading 31 will give rise to "30 cum laude"

Academic conduct: The penalty for course-related dishonesty (i.e. cheating on exams, plagiarism, etc) will be failure for the entire course.

Program

The main objective of the course is to convey to the students the ability to

1. provide theoretical, technical and methodological background to critically investigate nervous system functions
2. Drawing on knowledge and understanding of cellular and integrated neurophysiology to make accurate statements, describe complex information, provide detailed explanations and integrate knowledge.

Topics covered:

Prof Munaron Luca 1CFU

• Cell membrane permeability: fluxes across the plasma membrane. Fluxes and lows for neutral species and electrolytes; Fick; Nernst-Plank; Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz;

• A modern classification of transporters and pumps. Functional roles.
•  
• Prof Fiorio Pla Alessandra 2CFU

• Ion channels: classification, structural and functional properties. 4h
• How to study ion fluxes through plasma membrane and intracellular membranes? Electrophysiology: history and techniques. Patch clamp. 2h
• Electric Excitability of the cells. Action Potential. Hodgkin and Huxley's analyses of the squid giant axon. Amplitude and frequency coding. 2h
• Postsynaptic and receptor potentials. 2h
• Synaptic transmission: presynaptic mechanisms; Ca2+ and transmitters release; postsynaptic mechanisms 2h
• synaptic transmission neuro-muscular junction 2h
• Ca2+ signals and Ca2+ indicators probes 4h

Visiting Professor: Vicini Stefano 2CFU

• Synaptic Transmission Neuromuscular Junction:
• Link the structure of the ACh receptor to single channel gating and conductance and the changes occurring at the developing neuromuscular junction.
• Define and assess the concepts of quantal transmission, quantal content and quantal size
• Synaptic Transmission: Excitatory Synapses
• Compare and contrast the structure and function of the neuromuscular junction to that of the synapses in the CNS.
• Provide insights on the mechanisms that can generate spontaneous synaptic activation in neurons.
• Postsynaptic quantal groups as regulator of the strength of excitatory synapses and their involvement in different forms of synaptic plasticity.
• Compare the structural and pharmacological differences between the glutamate receptors and identify the determinants of Ca²⁺ permeability of the AMPA receptor
• Identify the synaptic properties and functional roles of AMPAR and NMDAR during excitatory synaptic transmission.  Contrast the roles of deactivation and desensitization of NMDA channel gating
• Provide an overview of the pharmacological and biophysical properties of distinct NMDA receptor subtypes and their changes with development
• Compare fast and slow postsynaptic potentials produced by modulatory neurotransmitters. Contrast distinct mechanism of action of second messengers neurotransmitters on pre and postsynaptic ion channels
• Synaptic Transmission Inhibitory Synapses:
• Describe the Heterogeneity of inhibitory GABA interneurons in CNS
• List the 3 major classes of GABA receptors and their transduction mechanism and identify the structure and function relationship of GABAA receptors as foundation for channel current size and synaptic efficacy
• Know the basis of functional heterogeneity of GABA_A receptor mediated inhibition in the brain as foundation for selective pharmacological targeting
• Understand how the chloride flux through GABA_A and glycine receptors determines inhibitory synaptic function.
• Contrast the roles of deactivation and desensitization of GABA channel gating and their role in determining inhibitory synaptic strength.
• Analyze the fundamental difference between phasic and tonic GABA_A receptor mediated neurotransmission and  synaptic, perisynaptic and extrasynaptic receptors
• Identify the molecular substrate of benzodiazepine binding and name common benzodiazepines used in the treatment of anxiety and epilepsy. Contrast anxiolytic and sedative behavioral responses of benzodiazepines and their changes with single point mutation of the alpha subunit of GABA_A receptor
• Understand the role of trafficking in adaptive changes of GABA_A receptors underlying tolerance

Prof. Buffo Annalisa 1CFU

• Physiology of photoreceptors. Receptive fields of visual neurons. Retinotopic maps and columnar organization of the visual cortex. Principles of motion perception and color vision.

Lectures, selected papers and websites are available on Moodle.

For some topics selected textbooks available at DBIOS library.

Selected textbooks

• Hammond C, Cellular and Molecular Neurophysiology, 4th edition, Academic Press, Elsevier
• Hille. Ionic Channels of Excitable Membranes, 3rd Edition. Sinauer Associates, Inc.
• Purves - "Neuroscience" - 6^th edition
• Kandel, et al, Principles of Neural Science 5th edition

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