Syllabus
(1-4) INTRODUCTION
What is neuroethology: History and definition of the discipline
Fundamentals of physiology and anatomy of the neural system mechanisms of neuronal transmission: Electrochemical transmission, Synapses, Action Potential, Passive conduction: the length and time constant
Receptors, Ion channels: Voltage-Gated Channels, Chemical Receptors, G-protein coupled receptors
Neurotransmitters : Definition, Types, Function, Deficits, Malfunctions, Influence on homeostasis and behavior
Methods: Measuring of neuronal activity, Lesions studies, Pharmacology,
Behavioral studies, c-fos, Positron emission tomography, Magnetic resonance imaging, Magnetic resonance angiography
(5-6) BASIC EMOTIONAL AND MOTIVATIONAL PROCESSES
Emotions Theories, Taxonomies and semantics
Aggression: Evolutionary sources of aggression and rage; Appraisal, higher cognitive functions and aggression, The general neurocognitive substrates of anger, Environmentally induced varieties of aggression, ESB-induced aggression and their affective consequences, Brain circuits for affective attack
(rage), Quiet-biting attack, Intermale aggression and dominance, Learning and aggression, Pharmacology and the neurochemistry of aggression
Fear, anxiety: Characteristics of fear, Preclinical models for the study of fear (tasks), The basic fear system - trajectory of a trans-hypothalamic fear system, Learning within fear system, The neurochemistry and pharmacology of fear
(7) LEARNING AND MEMORY I. Classifications and mechanisms:
Definitions and classification, Underlying mechanisms: basic mechanisms of LTP and LTD, Hippocampus as the key structure for learning and memory. The case study: Learning and memory in simple reflex system in
Aplysia complex-learning skills - an example: The mentality of crows and apes -the case study.
(8) LEARNING AND MEMORY II: space cognition:
Spatial orientation in rats and pigeons: maze learning, Neuronal substrates for spatial cognition:- hippocampus, place cells, head-directions cells - basic information; Methods of investigation - behavioral tests, spatial cognition as a basis for abstract though, Synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, Orientation on small and medium scale - alothetic orientation, idiothetic orientation, path-integration, landmarks, cognitive maps, Different aspects of space cognition in humans-ontogeny, gender, relation to the others cognitive functions.
The case study: Spatial cognition as a basis for abstract though, Neurogenesis and food storing birds.
(9) LEARNING AND MEMORY III: Learning in early development I:
Song learning: ontogeny and song acquisition and production, Innate predisposition, Sexual dimorphism and hormonal regulation of song, neuroanatomy of song system - phylogeny, needs of auditory feedback,
Classical view - anterior forebrain pathway, song production pathway, Laterality of the song system, new view - IEG and function of the vocal centres, Seasonal variation and neurogenesis
(10) LEARNING AND MEMORY IV: Learning in early development II:
Filial imprinting: Characteristics of behavior and study attitudes, Critical brain areas and Functional asymmetry, Heritability for imprinted stimulus - localisation in the brain
Sexual imprinting: Characteristics of behavior-acquisition and stabilization phase and experimental attitudes,
Function and localization of the centres in the brain; Influence of social environment, and age on speed of re-consolidation process, IEG and sexual imprinting, Sexual imprinting and hippocampus
(11) SOCIAL BEHAVIOR: play behavior in rats:
Conceptual background for the neural sources of ludic (play) behavior, Description and experimental analysis and sources of play, Play and aggression, The neuroanatomy and neurochemistry of play, The function of play, Distinction between play and exploration
(12) DISORDERS : Animals models
Neuronal substrate for some psychiatric disorders and deficits: schizophrenia, depression, Alzheimer?s disease, toxicomania, methods of investigation, animal models for investigation of psychiatric disease.
Annotation
The course proceeded till now as "Neuroethology"; change of the title was caused by a necessity to distinguish this lecture from the planned lecture of Dr. Pavel Němec.
The course is addressed primarily to the advanced students of specialization "ethology and ecology". This specialized course of master-degree study is not conceived as an overall review, more to the contrary it is based on case studies. This could be useful for students of ethology used to the angle of view of classical ethology (Veselovský) or behavioral ecology and sociobiology (Frynta). Because it is not dedicated to specialists on neurobiology, it is necessary to include at least basic conceptions, methods and hypothesis of neurosciences. Special interest is paid to regulation of complex forms of behavior; for example to learning (song learning, filial and sexual imprinting), memory (spatial cognition, food-storing), motivation and emotions (aggression, fear, anxiety), play behavior. Topics are hierarchy organized, from the level of behavior to neuronal substrate, and usually examples both from neuroethology of birds and mammals are provided. Attention is also paid to psychological topics: especially parallels between human behavior and animals models, neuronal basis of emotion, motivation and personality.
Notice: The lecture is not designated to students of bachelor study and it not substitute specialized courses of neurophysiology or ethology.