NEUROSCIENCE 300

NEUROSCIENCE SEMINARS. Spring 2009

COORDINATOR: WAYNE SILVER (OFFICE: 15 WINSTON, PHONE: 5920)

e-mail:  silver@wfu.edu

9:30 - 10:45 Tuesday and Thursday in Winston Hall Room 234

Readings: Found on Blackboard

CLICK (or hit control and then click) ON THE SPEAKER’S NAME TO GO TO HIS/HER WEB SITE.

Date                 Host and Speaker             Student                     Title  

Grading: 

Papers: 90% You will be responsible for writing a 2-3 page summary of each seminar. In this summary provide

1. a concise statement of the question being addressed (20 points)
2. a concise statement of the results obtained. (20 points)
3. a brief description of the methods used to address the question. (20 points)
4. a discussion of how does this study advance our knowledge of this subject? What is the “Big Picture”? (20 points)

The quality of your writing and your scientific accuracy are each worth 10 points.

You will be allowed to drop your lowest paper grade.

Participation: 10%   Each student will be assigned to one or more of the seminars, and along with the Neuroscience Faculty Host, will be responsible for leading the Tuesday discussions. Your participation grade is based on your contributions to class discussions as well as how you “lead” your assigned discussion. Please contact the Faculty Host before your presentation.

READINGS

Mary Lou Voytko

Luine VN. (2008) Sex steroids and cognitive function. J Neuroendocrinol. Jun;20(6):866-72. Epub 2008 Jun 1.

Sharon Letchworth

Ronald Bailey, The Battle for Your Brain: Science is developing ways to boost intelligence, expand memory, and more. But will you be allowed to change your own mind? February 2003 Print Edition

Martin Childers

Markert, C.,  Atala, A, Cann, J.K., Christ, G., Furth, M, Ambrosio, F., and Childers, M.K. Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Emerging Therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Unpublished Review.  

Mike Robbins

Zhao, W., Payne, V., Tomassi, E., Diz, D.I., Hsu, F-C, Robbins, M.E. (2007)Administering the peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor g agonist pioglitazone during fractionated brain irradiation prevents radiation-induced cognitive impairment. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 67,

6-9.

Robbins ME, Payne V, Tommasi E, Diz DI, Hsu FC, Brown WR, Wheeler KT, Olson J, Zhao W. (2008) The At(1) Receptor Antagonist, L-158,809, Prevents Or Ameliorates Fractionated Whole-Brain Irradiation-Induced Cognitive Impairment. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. Dec 10. [Epub ahead of print]

Christos Constantinidis

Meyer T, Xue-Lian Qi X-L, and Constantinidis C. (2007) Persistent Discharges in the Prefrontal

Cortex of Monkeys Naıve to Working Memory Tasks. Cerebral Cortex 17: i70--i76

Jim Schirillo

Kowler E and Steinman RM . (1980) Transient stimulation does not aid visual search: implications for the role of saccades. Percept Psychophys. Jan;27(1):1-10

Martinez-Conde S, Macknik SL, Hubel DH. (2004) The role of fixational eye movements in visual perception. Nat Rev NeurosciMar;5(3):229-40.

Pritchard RM. (1961) Stabilized images on the retina. Sci Am. Jun;204:72-8.

Dave Roberts

Roberts DCS, Morgan D, Liu Y (2007) How to make a rat addicted to cocaine.  Progress in Neuro-Psychopharm & Biol Psychiat. 31: 1614-1624.

Wayne Pratt

Will MJ, Pratt WE, Kelley AE. Pharmacological characterization of high-fat feeding induced by opioid stimulation of the ventral striatum. Physiol Behav. 2006 Sep 30;89(2):226-34.

Berthoud HR, Morrison C. The brain, appetite, and obesity. Annu Rev Psychol. 2008;59:55-92

Emilio Salinas

Shima K, Tanji J (2000) Neuronal activity in the supplementary and presupplementary motor areas for temporal organization of multiple movements. J Neurophysiol 84(4):2148-60.

Erik Johnson

Lightman SL. (2008). The neuroendocrinology of stress: a never ending story. J Neuroendocrinol. 20(6):880-4

Paul Czoty

Nader MA, Czoty PW. PET imaging of dopamine D2 receptors in monkey models of cocaine abuse: genetic predisposition versus environmental modulation. Am J Psychiatry. 2005, 162:1473-82.

John McHaffie

Rauschecker JP, Korte M. Auditory compensation for early blindness in cat cerebral cortex. J Neurosci. 1993 Oct;13(10):4538-48.

Chris Turner

Turner CP, Miller R, Smith C, Brown L, Blackstone K, Dunham SR, Strehlow R, Manfredi M, Slocum P, Iverson K, West M, Ringler SL, Berry ZC. (2007) Widespread neonatal brain damage following calcium channel blockade. Dev Neurosci.;29(3):213-31

Jim Toole

Poirier FE. Understanding Human Evolution Prentice Hall, Englewoodcliffs, NJ, 1993, 124-136.

Falk D. Hominid brain evolution: Looks can be deceiving. Science. 1998, 280:1714.

Conroy GC, Weber GW, Seidler H, Tobias PV, Kane A, and Brunsden B. Endocranial capacity in an early hominid cranium from Sterkfontein, South Africa. Science. 1998, 280: 1730-1731.