Assignments

Bear, Mark F., Barry W. Connors, and Michael A. Paradiso. Neuroscience: Exploring the Brain. 2nd ed. Baltimore, Md.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001. ISBN: 0683305964.

LEC # indicates assignment due dates.

Writing Assignments (PDF)

Weekly writing assignments are two page answers to three review questions (see three questions and due dates below). Please continue to prepare to discuss all review questions during the recitation sessions. These discussions will be worth 5% of your grade.

Please write a two-page answer to the following review questions by the appointed date and turn them in to your TA. Your answers should be typed, using 12 point font, and have at least 3 paragraphs. Please do not exceed 3 pages. The answers will be evaluated for both content and writing (see attached evaluation scheme). They will be worth 20% of your grade. If you use sources other than the course text to answer the questions, please cite them. You will no longer be required to revise your answers after receiving feedback from TAs and writing instructors, but you will be expected to show improvement on answers to successive review questions.

Paper I

Address the concept of the "receptive field." Begin providing a definition of receptive fields (in your own words, not use the definition on the glossary) and how the concept was first developed (look up S. Kuffler on the internet). Include a comparison of receptive field properties in different sensory modalities (e.g., visual, auditory, somatosensory) and in different parts of the sensory pathways (e.g., receptors, sensory thalamic neurons, and primary sensory cortex, and association cortex).

Paper II

Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease are related movement disorders that have seemingly opposing symptoms. Discuss the cause of these two diseases in terms of their anatomical, genetic and neurotransmitter basis. Finally, please describe some of the treatment options (surgical and pharmacological) for these patients, including their limitations.

Paper III

Compare and contrast the glutamate theory of schizophrenia and the dopamine theory of schizophrenia.

1. What clinical and therapeutic observations are each of these theories based on.
   
   
2. What are some of the behavioral features of the disease that neither theory can account for completely.
   
   
3. (Optional) If you were a neuroscientist trying to study this diseases in mice what pharmacologic, genetic and lesion studies would you perform to resolve the debate.
   

Evaluation of Writing Assignments

Content to be evaluated by TAs:

• Mastery of key concepts
  
  
• Effective use of examples
  
  
• Appropriate and effective use of neuroscience terms
  
  
• Scholarly consideration of unresolved issues
  

Scientific writing to be evaluated by writing instructors:

• Structural elements (headings, subheadings, and topic sentences) are easily identified, reflect a coherent writing strategy, organize the reader's thinking, and match the complexity of the content
  
  
• Sentences are succinct, word choice is precise and concise, and sentences are written in active voice (as must as possible) with strong verbs and apt adjectives
  
  
• Illustrations are appropriate and well designed (readable, attractive, appropriately labeled)
  
  
• Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting are correct