Description
Neuropsychopharmacology of neurological and psychiatric diseases.
Methods for evaluating behavior in mice I: psychiatric and drug dependence models.
Methods for evaluating behavior in mice II: neurological models.
Biochemistry and therapeutic targets in Alzheimer's disease.
Genetic, cellular, and molecular basis of mental retardation.
Neurochemical mechanisms involved in pain and analgesia.
Axonal myelination and neurological disorders.
Functional reorganization of brain networks supporting addiction and relapse.
Role of molecular pharmacology in the study of cognitive disturbances.
Transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms of neuropathology.
General competencies
- Recognize and understand the normal structure of the nervous system at the molecular, cellular, tissue, and system levels.
- Understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the normal functions of the nervous system.
- Understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in normal and pathological development of the nervous system.
- Learn the basics about normal human behavior, its alterations, and changes occurring during ageing.
- Understand the basics and efficacy of therapeutic interventions based on scientific evidence.
- Recognize the need for translational research concerning neurological and psychiatric diseases.
Specific competencies
- Learn and understand how our knowledge about the nervous system came about and identify the most important challenges in neuroscience today.
- Describe normal and pathological development of the nervous system and understand its genetic determinants.
- Manage the informatic tools used in genetic analysis and the logic of high-performance genetic analysis.
- Analyze the properties of the animal models used in the study of nervous system development and functions.
- Understand the basics about nociceptive sensory processing at molecular, cellular, and system levels and the mechanisms involved in analgesia.
- Understand the molecular and cellular bases of neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders.
- Understand the neurological changes associated with addictive processes.
Objectives (Learning outcomes)
- To understand the role of pharmacology in relation to neurologic and psiquiatric disorders.
- To know the genetic, molecular and cellular basis of mental retardation.
- To know the alterations of axonal mielinization.
- To describe the neurochemical mechanisms associated to pain and analgesia.
- To know the molecular basis of addiction.
- To know the alterations in learning and memory processing.
Contents
Teaching units
Complementary bibliography
Links
Software
Methodology and grading
Grading
- Continuous assessment in classes, seminars and practicals. Evaluation of review papers. Exam of the theoretical contents of the subject.