NEUROBIOLOGY OF BRAIN STATES (Psychology 166)

Fall 2012 Mondays & Wednesdays 5:00-6:15 p.m. Psychology 1924 Course website: http://gauchospace.ucsb.edu/students
Instructor: Office: Office Hours: E-mail: TA: TA Office: TA Office Hours: TA E-mail: Course Description The course covers the neurobiology of complex brain states in health and disease. The unifying theme of the course is the active, top-down construction of reality in the brain. The topics include the default-mode network, Bayesian approaches to perception, phantom limbs, out-of-body experiences, the dreamy state, wakefulness and sleep, the neurobiology of music, hallucinogens, and associated neurological disorders. Instructor Skirmantas Janusonis received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience & Behavior from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (2001) and worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Neurobiology of the Yale University School of Medicine (2001-2006). At UCSB, he teaches a number of undergraduate and graduate courses and has his own research program. His laboratory investigates how serotonin signaling shapes the brain in development. He has taught this course since 2007. Textbook and Other Resources Brain States Reader (required; available at the UCen Bookstore) Recommended books: http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/listmania/byauthor/A2ZGIP4UDNRYW2 Original papers: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed Honors students: Write a neurobiological analysis of brain states described in one of the recommended books (see the Brain States list) Skirmantas Janusonis Psychology East, Room 2827 Mondays, 9:00-11:00 a.m. skirmantas.janusonis@psych.ucsb.edu Jennifer Wenzel Building 429, Room 208A Thursdays, 3:00-5:00 p.m. jennifer.wenzel@psych.ucsb.edu

Requirements Students are expected to know all material covered in class and the assigned material from the Reader. All lectures will be posted on the course website. Tests The final grade will be based on: (1) a midterm examination (40% of the final grade) and (2) a non-cumulative final examination (60% of the final grade). With the exception of special circumstances, no make-up exams will be given.

October 1 (Monday) Introduction. Building the conceptual brain (I). October 3 (Wednesday) Building the conceptual brain (II). October 8 (Monday) Building the conceptual brain (III). October 10 (Wednesday) Review of brain architecture (I). October 15 (Monday) Review of brain architecture (II). October 17 (Wednesday) Review of brain architecture (III). October 22 (Monday) Brain viewing sessions (Psychology, Room 3113) 1:00-2:00 2:00-3:00 4:00-5:00 5:00-6:00 October 24 (Wednesday) Brain viewing sessions (Psychology, Room 3113) 1:00-2:00 2:00-3:00 4:00-5:00 5:00-6:00 October 29 (Monday) 5:00-6:15 p.m. MIDTERM EXAM

October 31 (Wednesday) Brain states and the construction of reality. Phantom body parts and full-body illusions. Construction of pain. November 5 (Monday) The dreamy state and sexual auras. Capgras and Cotard syndromes. Near-death experiences. November 7 (Wednesday) Internal modulation of brain states. Wakefulness and sleep (I): Evolution and phenomenology. November 12 (Monday) VETERANS DAY NO CLASS November 14 (Wednesday) Wakefulness and sleep (II): Current understanding of neurobiological mechanisms. November 19 (Monday) Wakefulness and sleep (III): Unusual sleep states. Discussion. November 21 (Wednesday) External modulation of brain states. Neurobiology of music (I): Fundamental neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. Neurobiology of music (II): Current state of research. November 26 (Monday) Neurobiology of music (III): Current state of research. November 28 (Wednesday) Brain states in human history and culture. Hallucinogens (I): Overview. December 3 (Monday) Hallucinogens (II): Molecular mechanisms. December 5 (Wednesday) Hallucinogens (III): A case study of brain states shaping human history: Salem witch trials December 11 (Tuesday) 7:30-10:30 p.m. FINAL EXAM