Cognitive Neuroscience

Recommended Prerequisites

Some command of English.

Teaching Methods

Theoretical classes will be based on the lectures by the instructor. Students are encouraged to take part and intervene in class, in response to class questions and mandatory readings. Practical classes will require students to do bibliographic research, and to present content and experimental data related to one or more scientific articles.

Learning Outcomes

The main goal of this course is to familiarize students with how the brain works, and in particular its relationship with major cognitive functions, and how these functions can be affected in lesions. Moreover, it will also introduce the students to the most used neuroimaging methods in neurosciencs (eg., fMRI). Students will have the opportunity to explore some laboratory activities in cognitive neuroscience at the instructor's laboratory.

Thus students should be able to:

Understand how different cognitive processes are related to different types of neuronal response patterns and neural areas, as well as what methods are most used in cognitive neuroscience research.

Read and understand scientific articles, summarizing and presenting them in terms of their theoretical contributions and experimental data, as well as understanding how a particular article can foster subsequent research.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Introduction to the course and a primer on how the brain works

2. Neuroimaging Methods

3. Perception I  (From the Retina to primary and secondary visual cortex; other senses)

4. Perception II (Color and motion Perception)

5. Perception III (complex object perception and recognition)

6. Motor System

7. Memory Systems

8. Language

9. Atention and Consciousness

10 Social Cognition and Emotions

11. The Aging brain.

Head Lecturer(s)

Jorge Manuel Castelo Branco de Albuquerque Almeida

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Resolution Problems: 20.0%
Synthesis work: 35.0%
Frequency: 45.0%

Bibliography

Bibliografia principal:

Ward, Jamie – (2015) - The Student's Guide to Cognitive Neuroscience, 3rd Edition; Routledge-uk

Bibliografia específica variará de ano para ano tendo em conta os artigos mais recentes.