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Special Topic
Special Topic: Neurobiology of Higher CognitionWe will study how our brain develops and changes over the lifespan and what brain areas contribute to ways that we learn and update information, navigate in our environment, generate goals, make decisions, and produce actions. We will consider how personality, hormones, physiology, and genetics influence the brain. We will learn how brain areas are affected during healthy ageing throughout the lifespan and in some brain disorders that cause cognitive deficits, for example, affective disorders (e.g., schizophrenia) and dementias (e.g., behavioural variant frontotemporal dementias). Throughout the course, students will also reflect on the impact of environmental factors on the brain. Additionally, students will learn about the regulations governing welfare and ethics when working with humans and animal models in neuroscience and bicultural perspectives about the brain. We will also consider how neuroscience and neurobiology contribute to the development of artificial intelligence
The objectives of the course are to: Evaluate and reflect upon the regulations that govern the ethical treatment and welfare of humans and animals participating in neuroscience researchIdentify and explain how neural networks contribute to our cognitive and behavioural processes Identify and infer how individual differences and environment factors impact on neural systems and our cognitive functioningInterpret and synthesize technical scientific primary literatureAbility to extrapolate in-depth knowledge from humans and animal models and infer this to human endeavours to advance biomedical strategies, treatments, technology, and artificial intelligence
Subject to approval of the Head of Department.
Students must attend one activity from each section.
Anna Mitchell
Carlson NR, & Birkett MA; Physiology of Behavior ; 12 or 13; (12th or 13th edition available online via UC Library. Beyond introductory chapters, a single textbook is not followed).
There are no required textbooks for this course. Assigned readings and online content for lectures and student presentations will be provided online via LEARN.
Domestic fee $1,110.00
International Postgraduate fees
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing .