Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health (7PAMFBIO)

In week 5, we will first introduce you to the limbic system and its role in emotion. We will then revisit the dopaminergic pathways and explore in depth the anatomy of the basal ganglia, its function in motor control and role in consciousness and free will. Finally, we will discuss the reward system and how dysfunction of this process can lead to addiction and depression.

uilding on the concepts introduced in the first 3 weeks, week 4 explores how the brain works to produce complex or higher executive functions; our current theories on how information and memories are stored in neural networks, and finally how aberrant wiring of the brain is linked with mental health issues.

This week we will delve more deeply into the cellular makeup of the brain, examining in more depth the functional connection between neurons and glia and the basic biology of different types of stems cells. We will explore the characteristics of neural stem cells and the surprising recent finding that new neurons continue to be generated during adult life and the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the process by which mature cells can be reprogrammed back into a stem cell state. Finally, we will d...

Week 3’s content will provide you with a detailed look at how information is relayed within and between neurons through a process called synaptic transmission, and further will explore the role and functions of specific neurotransmitters in normal brain function and mental health.