Course

Unit I

Unit I – Structure and Function of the Brain and Nervous System

• Introduction:
  • What is cognition? What is cognitive psychology? What is cognitive neuroscience?
• Methods of cognitive psychology and instruments of cognitive neuroscience (e.g., neuroimaging)
• Brain anatomy and functional divisions of the cerebral cortex
• Structure and function of neurons
• Early brain development and neuroplasticity: Influencing factors of genes, environment, and experience
  • (e.g., effects of neglect on brain development)

Unit II

Unit II – Perception

• Senses, sensation, and perception
• Anatomy of the senses in the cerebral cortex
• Perception: different types of perception, such as visual, auditory, haptic, olfactory, gustatory, somatosensory (including vestibular and proprioceptive) perception

Unit III

Unit III – Attention and Consciousness

• Attention from a cognitive psychology perspective:
  • Types: selective attention, divided attention, and sustained attention
  • Theories: early and late selection, capacity, and mental effort models
• Neural mechanisms of attention
• Consciousness: Nature, types, and function

Unit IV

Unit IV – Learning and Memory

• Memory from a cognitive psychology perspective:
  • Encoding, storage and retrieval
  • Short-term forms of memory (sensory, short-term, and working memory)
  • Long-term forms of memory (explicit: episodic and semantic; implicit: procedural)
  • The constructive nature of memory
• Neural basis of learning and memory:
  • Neural networks in the human brain
  • Neurophysiology of learning and performing new skills
  • The role of the hippocampus in memory

Unit V

Unit V – Neurological Dysfunction

• Neurological dysfunction and neurocognitive disorders (physiological and psychiatric)
• Neuropsychological rehabilitation

Prerequisites: Good reading and writing skills in English; Basic understanding of brain anatomy and neural functioning

Course Description:

In this course, learners will gain an overview of cognitive psychology, which studies mental processes. They will explore human perception, i.e., how we perceive the world through our senses and organize our perceptions. Learners will come to understand how attention influences memory, and how memory is being constructed in the mind. Moreover, this course offers learners the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between brain function and cognition. At the end of the course, they should become familiar with the structure and function of the brain and nervous system. In addition, they should be able to understand the neural basis of cognitive processes, such as perception, attention, consciousness, learning, and memory. They should be able to grasp how social and biological factors impact brain development in children. They should also develop a basic understanding of the methods of cognitive neuroscience, such as brain-imaging techniques. Finally, they should gain an overview of neurocognitive disorders.

Course Objectives:

1. To develop a working knowledge of the structure and function of the brain and nervous system.
2. To understand how the human brain develops and adapts to outer circumstances.
3. To gain a basic understanding of the methods of cognitive neuroscience, such as brain-imaging techniques.
4. To gain insight into how the human mind perceives the world through the senses.
5. To gain an understanding of what attention is and what influences attention.
6. To gain an understanding of human consciousness.
7. To gain an overview of the different parts of the memory system and how we create memories.
8. To gain knowledge of the neural basis of learning and memory.
9. To gain an overview of neurological dysfunction and neurocognitive disorders.

Course Outcomes:

• CO1: Understand essential concepts of neuroanatomy and brain structure and function. CO2: Acquire knowledge of the cutting-edge technology used in cognitive neuroscience, such as functional and structural brain imaging.
• CO3: Gain information on how the brain develops and what factors affect brain development.
• CO4: Gain insights into theories from cognitive psychology that explain cognitive processes, such as perception, attention, consciousness, memory, and learning.
• CO5: Gain insights into the neural basis of cognitive processes, such as perception, attention, consciousness, memory, and learning.
• CO6: Understand different causes and types of neurological dysfunction and neurocognitive disorders and rehabilitation.

Skills:

• Develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between brain function and cognition.
• Differentiate between the functional divisions of the brain and gain an understanding of the workings of neurons.
• Grasp how social and biological factors impact brain development in children and leave a lasting impact into adulthood.
• Develop a basic understanding of the methods of cognitive neuroscience, such as brain-imaging techniques.
• Understand cognitive psychology theories and the neural basis of cognitive processes, such as perception, attention, consciousness, memory, and learning.
• Gain an overview of neurocognitive disorders and rehabilitation.

CO-PO Mappings

Program outcome PO – Course Outcomes CO Mapping

Evaluation Pattern:

*CA – Can be Quizzes, Assignment, Projects, and Reports, and Seminar

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