BEHAVIOURAL NEUROSCIENCE IN ANIMALS

Co-ordinators

Efthimios Skoulakis, Researcher A, Biomedical Sciences Research Center Alexander Fleming

Antonios Stamatakis, Associate Professor of Biology-Biology of Behaviour, Faculty of Nursing, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Teaching hours and weekly schedule

This is a 2^nd semester elective course of about 2.5 weeks that corresponds to 4 ECTs and 31 total hours of teaching including student presentations.

Description

This course will explore the general themes and important questions in the field of animal behavior including the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms.  Topics will include the underlying genetics of behavior, behavioral development, various forms of learning, decision making, social interaction, sexual and parental behavior. The goal of this course to familiarize students with animal models emulating emotional and cognitive functions of humans.

Course Overview

• Attention & Habituation
• Learning & Memory I: Aplysia-molecular concepts
• Learning & Memory II: Mammals – Hippocampus
• Learning & Memory III: LTP & place cells
• Learning & Memory IV: Adult neurogenesis
• Learning & Memory V: Drosophila
• Learning & Memory VI: Zebra fish
• Emotions and the limbic system
• Motivation and the reward system of the brain
• Prefrontal cortex: Decision making, working memory and monitoring of behavior
• Social Interaction & aggression Ι-Non mammalian species 12. Social Interaction & aggression ΙΙ-Mammals
• Sexual behavior
• Maternal/Parental behavior
• Effects of early life experiences on emotion and cognition

Skills & Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course the students will be acquainted with the scientific research on animal behavior and will understand the complexity of the mechanisms controlling behavior.

Goals will be to:

1. Gain knowledge of common biological terms and principles used in the study of animal  behaviour
2. Comprehend behavioral terms and principles and demonstrate this comprehension via interpretation of material in lecture
3. Apply studied behavioral terms and principles to new situations
4. Analyze behavioral principles based on the ability to distinguish between facts and inferences
5. Synthesize general principles from different sub-fields of behavior to solve problems using creative thinking
6. Evaluate behavioral principles in a study of the behavioral literature

Titles of lectures and names of the lecturers