An Introduction to Neuroscience

What exactly are we talking about?

Robert Vick, Ph.D.Department of Biology

Elon University

Disclaimer I am a physiologist with an interest in

cellular neurochemistry. I have tried to include as many aspects of neuroscience as I can, and this presentation should be taken with a grain of salt. I apologize to any one, group, or discipline that I may not have given adequate due to. Any perceived slight is unintentional.

Challenges Faced by Neuroscientists Understand the biological basis of

Consciousness Perception Actions Learning Memory Disease

Challenges Faced by Neuroscientists Are these processes localized to specific

regions of the brain? If so, how does the anatomy and physiology of

these specific regions work? What level (region, sub region, neuron) do we

need to go to understand? Are these processes a collective property of

the whole brain?

Challenges Faced by Neuroscientists How does the genetics of an organism

influence behavior or perceptions or memory, etc?

How does previous experience alter the way the brain processes and perceive subsequent events?

What Do Neuroscientists Study? Medical problems

Diseases, treatments Comparative animal problems

Sensory, behavior Psychological problems

Learning and memory, behavior, processing Exercise problems

Motivation, effective training techniques

Where Do You Find a Neuroscientist? Hospitals and Medical Centers Government

FDA Colleges and Universities Pharmaceutical companies Private research organizations

What part of the organism do we study? Cellular Level

CNS v PNS Neurons Glia

Astrocytes v Fibroblasts Oligodendrocytes v Schwann Cells Microglia Ependymal cells

What part of the organism do we study?

What part of the organism do we study? Neurochemistry

Neurotransmitters Acetylcholine, Catecholamines, Neuropeptides,

Histamines, etc. Neuropharmachology

Tylenol, Imitrex, Tegretol, etc. Behavioral Neurochemistry

Psychotic disorders, Affective disorders, Anxiety, Learning and Memory

What part of the organism do we study?

What part of the organism do we study? Neurophysiology

Electrical signaling Action potentials Vm=RT/zF ln Co/Ci

Neural circuitry Muscle control, Reflexes, Learning, Memory Processing sensory inputs and making sense of

them

What part of the organism do we study? Neurophysiology

How the brain controls the musculature Process that control what the brain is used for –

sleep and attention How the brain processes and uses language

What part of the organism do we study?

What part of the organism do we study? Neuroanatomy

Gross level Neurohistology

What part of the organism do we study?

Neurobiology - Multidisciplinary Molecular Biology Biochemistry Cell Biology Physiology Anatomy Behavior

What organisms do we use? Honey bee Fruit fly C. elegans Aplysia Octopus Rodents Humans

A Neuroscience Example Multiple sclerosis

Chronic progressive autoimmune disease that affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord

Affects 400,000 in the US and 2.5 million people worldwide

2-3 times as many women are affected as men

Multiple Sclerosis Molecular biology approach

Try to determine what is attacking the myelin sheath

Multiple Sclerosis Biochemical/Cell Biology

An attack on the myelin in the CNS May be viral, may be autoimmune

Scarring occurs and may form sclerotic areas Try to determine what is being exposed in

the myelin to trigger an immune response Lipid/protein biochemistry Immunology

Multiple Sclerosis Physiologic

Damage can slow or block electrical nerve signals that control muscle coordination, strength, sensation, and vision

MS patients are extremely heat sensitive – can be a cause of death

Examine the pathways that are being affected

Multiple Sclerosis Pharmachologic

Drugs that may lessen the effects of the disease Beta interferon, Copaxone, Tysabri, Novantrone

Drugs that may help with quality of life Corticosteroids, muscle relaxants, fatigue

reduction, bladder issues

Multiple Sclerosis Anatomically

Identify areas of insult Identify exactly what is being changed Identify if treatments are having a positive or

negative effect on the disease

Support the National MS Society

Other neurological diseases in the US Alzheimer’s disease – 3 million and

increasing Parkinson’s disease – 500,000 Depression – 15 million Schizophrenia – 2 million Stroke – 100,000 per year Addiction

Recap Society for Neuroscience

Over 30,000 attendees at 2007 San Diego meeting

2008 meeting is in Washington DC in November Variety of levels and topics to study Probably someone you know has some

connection to neuroscience

Acknowledgments Kandel, Schwartz, and Jessell (1991) Principles of Neural Science 3 ed Matthews (2002) Neurobiology 2ed Enchantedlearning.com Siegel, Agranof, Albers, Molinoff (1989) Basic Neurochemistry 4ed National Multiple Sclerosis Society MIT open courseware: 901 An Introduction to Neuroscience http://ocw.mit.edu Belmonte and Thoroughman Introduction to Neuroscience

http://www.mattababby.org Clancy, Barbara An Introduction to Neuroscience

http://faulty.uca.edu/~bclancy/bio3370.html The Wizard of Oz (1939) www.youtube.com Pinky and the Brain www.youtube.com National Society for Neuroscience Perron et al (1997) Molecular Identification of a Novel Retrovirus Repeatedly

Isolated from Patients with Multiple Sclerosis. PNAS 94(14):7583-7588