Behavioral Neuroscience

NSC-3361
Spring, 2006 Syllabus
Instructor: Dr. Stephen G. Lomber
Office: Jonsson Hall 4.202
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday
8 – 9AM and by appointment
Office Phone: 972-883-2235
E-mail Address: lomber@utdallas.edu

Graduate
Teaching Assistants: Jeff Mellott Amee Hall
Office: Green Hall 4.218 Green Hall 4.218
Office Hours: Tuesday 2-4 PM Thursday 2-4 PM
Phone: 972-883-2969 972-883-2969
E-mail Address: jeff_mellott@hotmail.com amee@student.utdallas.edu

Undergraduate
Teaching Assistants: Shannon Tunnell Bryan Grohman
Office: Green Hall 4.218 Green Hall 4.218
Office Hours: Tuesday 11AM-1PM Tues. & Thurs., 5:45-6:45PM
Phone: 972-998-9430 903-720-8394
E-mail Address: tigertunnell@msn.com bdg021000@utdallas.edu

Lecture Times: Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30AM – 10:45AM

Lecture Hall: Hoblitzelle Hall 2.402

TEXTBOOK:
Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain (Second Edition)
By Mark F. Bear, Barry W. Connors, and Michael A. Paradiso
Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2001

The textbook is available in both hardcover w/CD and softcover. Either is fine.
Where to purchase: UTD Bookstore and Off-Campus Books (Campbell Rd.)

COURSE PREREQUISITES:
One, or more, of the following courses should be completed prior to taking NSC 3361:
PSY 2301 Introduction to Psychology
CGS 2401 Cognitive Science
BIO 2311 Introduction to Modern Biology I
COURSE CONTENT:
The course is divided into three sections:
1) Foundations of the Nervous System
2) Functional Systems
3) The Brain and Behavior

The course begins with the study of nerve cells: their structure, the propagation of nerve impulses
and transfer of information between nerve cells, the effects of drugs on this process, and the
development of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. We also examine the overall structure of the
nervous system and its development. We then move onto functional systems such as vision, hearing,
touch, smell, balance, taste, and motor control. We will discuss how physical energy such as light is
converted into neural signals, where these signals travel in the brain, and how they are processed.
Finally, we will study eating & drinking, language, attention, sleep, consciousness, mental illness,
emotion, learning and memory. From this course, you should obtain a solid understanding of the
basics of brain function and neuroscience.

ATTENDANCE AND READINGS:

Your performance in this course will be greatly influenced by your attendance. Some material
covered in lecture is not covered in the textbook. In order to help ensure attendance, occasional
quizzes will be given at the beginning of class. Therefore, don’t be late to lecture.

ASSESSMENT:
Exams (75%): There will be three exams during the course. Each exam will be worth 25% of your
final grade and will cover the material from the third of the course preceding the exam. There will be
no cumulative final exam. Material covered on the exams will be taken from the assigned readings
and class lectures, as well as any additional material that may be provided. Exams will consist of 60
multiple choice questions.

Quizzes (25%): During the course of the semester, nine quizzes will be given. Quiz dates will be
announced in the class prior to the quiz. A quiz will only cover material presented in the lecture prior
to the quiz. Each quiz will consist of ten questions (multiple choice and true/false). Your lowest quiz
grade will be dropped and the remaining 8 will be used to calculate your total quiz grade. As one quiz
grade will be dropped, there is no make-up for a missed quiz.

Missed Exams: Missed exams may be made up only if you: 1) provide a valid excuse, and 2) notify
the instructor BEFORE the exam. Excuses must be accompanied by valid documentation
(documentation that you sought medical assistance, a newspaper clipping of the obituary of your
dead relative, or documentation from the police, AAA or an automotive garage that your car broke
down). Make-up exams will consist of short answer and essay-type questions.

Final Grades: Final grades will be based on the three exams and eight quizzes. As this is an
undergraduate course, pluses and minuses will be assigned in addition to letter grades. Grade
ranges are provided below. If the class average on any exam is below 80, then the exam grade is
curved to raise the class average grade to 80. If the class average on any exam is above 80, then no
curve is applied.

A = 94 C+ 77 - 79
A- 90 - 93 C 73 - 76
B+ 87 - 89 C- 70 - 72
B 83 - 86 D 60 - 69
B- 80 – 82 F = 59
LECTURE NOTES:
At the beginning of each lecture, photocopied lecture notes will be provided to each student. These
notes will include copies of all the slides presented in lecture. In order to pay for photocopying, the
cost is $20.00 per student. This money will be collected by the TAs during the first two weeks of
class and may be paid by cash or check. Checks should be made payable to “The University of
Texas at Dallas”. Be sure to place your Comet Card number on all checks. A course grade of
“incomplete” will be assigned if a student fails to pay for their lecture notes.

EXAM REVIEWS:
Several days prior to each exam, the teaching assistants will hold a review session to review material
that will be included on the exam and answer any questions. Attendance at these reviews is not
required and new material will not be presented at these reviews.

HONOR CODE:
A student in this course is considered to be a mature adult whose attitude and conduct are
compatible with the ethical standards of the health professions. All academic work is conducted
under an honor code, which states: “I have neither given nor received aid for this work, nor am I
aware of anyone giving or receiving aid for this work.” As standard procedure during exams, place all
coats, books, and other items at the front of the room. If any member of the teaching staff suspects a
student of cheating, the student will be referred to the Dean of Students Office for prosecution.

AUDIO OR VIDEORECORDING:
It is illegal to audio or videotape lectures without the permission of the instructor. If you wish to tape
any lectures you must obtain permission from Dr. Lomber.

CELL PHONES, PAGERS, ETC.

Cell phones and pagers have no place in class. Please do not bring them to class or turn them off.
Any cell phone ringing in class will be answered by Dr. Lomber.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:

Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to
arrange for reasonable accommodations must contact the instructor and Disability Services (Kerry
Tate, 972-883-2098, SU 1.610) during the first week of the semester.

CORE-COURSE REQUIREMENT: PARTICIPATION IN PSYCH EXPERIMENTS:

There is no longer a requirement to participate in psychology experiments for NSC 3361.
 SPRING, 2006 - LECTURE AND READING SCHEDULE

Date Lecture Lecture Topic Reading

January 10 Introduction Chapter 1
January 12 1 Neurons and Glia Chapter 2
January 17 2 Membrane Properties of Neurons Chapter 3
January 19 3 The Action Potential Chapter 4
January 24 4 Synaptic Transmission Chapter 5
January 26 5 Synaptic Integration Chapter 5
January 31 6 Gross Structure of the Nervous System Chapter 7
February 2 7 Structure and Development of the Nervous System Chapter 7
February 7 8 CNS Structure with Lab/ Exam Review Chapter 7
February 9 Exam 1
February 14 9 The Eye Chapter 9
February 16 10 The Visual System Chapter 10
February 21 11 Auditory and Vestibular Systems Chapter 11
February 23 12 The Chemical Senses Chapter 8
February 28 13 The Somatosensory System Chapter 12
March 2 14 Spinal Control of Movement Chapter 13
March 7 Spring Break – No Class
March 9 Spring Break – No Class
March 14 15 Brain Control of Movement Chapter 14
March 16 Exam 2
March 21 16 Chemical Control of Behavior Chapter 15
March 23 17 Eating and Drinking Chapter 16
March 28 18 Sex and the Brain Chapter 17
March 30 19 Emotion Chapter 18
April 4 20 Rhythms of the Brain (Sleep) Chapter 19
April 6 21 Language and Attention Chapter 20
April 11 22 Wiring the Brain Chapter 22
April 13 23 Learning and Memory Chapter 23
April 18 No Class
April 20 Exam Review
April 27 Exam 3 – 9:30AM