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The Brain and Behavior Course in the Nervous System Curriculum
This course provides the basic science fundamentals that you will need to understand the pathologic and clinical presentations in the second year nervous system module. It is also the basic science substrate for clinical topics in neurology, neuroradiology, psychiatry, ophthalmology and otology. As summarized below, this course will cover neuroanatomy, cellular neurobiology, functional systems and related topics.

Objectives
The overall objective of the Brain and Behavior course is to provide the knowledge and confidence necessary to successfully approach clinical problems related to the nervous system through an understanding of their underlying scientific basis. This is achieved by:

(1) providing an understanding of the basic concepts underlying the function of neurons and their interconnections
(2) imparting the anatomical and physiological facts of functional systems and pathways
(3) relating these concepts and facts to clinical situations through the study of case histories in small group conferences.

General Organization
The course is organized into three sections.
I. Cellular Neurobiology, ( lectures and conferences)
This section builds on the work in cellular physiology and histology. It examines the characteristics of individual nerve cells and how they function and interact with other cells in the nervous system.

II. Basic Functions and Pathways ( lectures, labs, conferences)
This section will introduce you to the functional geography of the central nervous system and how the CNS is organized to interact with our internal and external environments. Lectures and conferences will cover (1) sensory systems, (2) motor pathways, (3) cranial nerves, (4) organization of the brainstem and thalamus. The labs deal with the brainstem, cranial nerves, and cerebellum.

III. Sensory, Motor and Integrative Functions (lectures, labs, conferences)
In this section, you will learn about the more subtle and complex operations of the CNS: How motor expression is organized into meaningful behavior, how the visual and somatic sensory systems encode, process and interpret external events, and how the higher cortical functions of humans encompass consciousness, perception and language. The conferences cover cerebrum and the labs cover the external and internal structure of the forebrain in three dimensions.

Laboratories
There will be seven 2-hour Brain and Behavior laboratory periods. Everyone has been assigned to a lab group and attendance is required. Please read the assigned exercises before coming to lab. Neuroanatomy computer modules, used as part of the lab, are available on the Coles computers and other on-campus terminals. Most of these modules are also accessible from off-campus via the Brain and Behavior website. Except for the first lab, there will be an informal practice quiz at the beginning of every lab to help you review the material from the previous session. The teaching assistants prepare these quizzes but you will grade your own paper. Because of the quiz, you must arrive promptly at the beginning of the lab session.

Conferences
There will be seven 1.5-hour conferences. Everyone has been assigned to a conference group. Attendance and participation is required. Brain and Behavior conferences provide a forum for discussing the course material, assessing your understanding and relating basic science information to a clinical context. Lecture exams will include clinical context problems similar to those covered in the conferences and your conference participation will be a significant part of your grade.

Independent Study
You can find several required computer modules at the B&B website. You should complete the Spinal Cord module before the lectures on spinal cord pathways, the Eye module before the visual system lectures and the Ear module before auditory and vestibular lectures as these are prerequisite to those lectures. The Neurohistology and Spinal Cord modules will be covered on the first practical exam. There are, also, 3 optional independent study units appended to the lab manual.

Grading
- Material from this course will be covered in five exams, 3 written, 2 practical.
- The course grade in Brain and Behavior is determined by the total number of points earned from the exams and from the conferences.
- 70% is the passing grade for the material on each individual exam and for the course in total.
- Any student receiving a failing grade on any single exam will be required to take a make-up exam. However, only one make-up will be given.
- The Preclinical Examining Board will determine remediation for anyone who fails the course. (The Board is composed of the preclinical course directors and is chaired by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Dr. Lynn Buckvar-Keltz).

A summary of the exams and grading is given below (all values are approximate):

Text Books

Text book: Neuroscience, edited by Dale Purves, George J. Augustine, David Fitzpatrick, William C. Hall, Anthony-Samuel LaMantia, James O. McNamara and S. Mark Williams. Sinauer: Sunderland MA, 3rd Ed., 2004.

Atlas: The Brain Atlas: A Visual Guide to the Human Central Nervous System, 2nd Ed. by Thomas Woolsey, Joseph Hanaway, Mokhtar H. Gado. John Wiley & Sons, 2002. Please bring this with you to lab as the lab instructions refer to figures in this book.

Additional Materials: We strongly recommend purchasing Neuroanatomy through Clinical Cases by Hal Blumenfeld. Sinauer: Sunderland MA, 2002. Many students benefit from a supplementary neuroanatomy book and this is an excellent, detailed and clinically-oriented one. It is also the required textbook for your second year Nervous System Module. Among other useful references for neuroanatomy are (1) Barr’s The Human Nervous System (8th ed.) by John A Kiernan, Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins, 2005 and (2) Clinical Neuroanatomy by Stephen G. Waxman. Lange, 2003. Although the last one is less explicit and detailed than either Blumenfeld or Kiernan, this book is available in its entirety, on-line, from the library. >>click here

Previous classes have found the following small handbooks helpful in preparing for the conferences and for continuing general clinical reference, especially in your Neurology rotation.
1. Topical Diagnosis in Neurology by Peter Duus;
2. The Resident’s Neurology Handbook by Orrin Devinsky, Edward Feldman, Herman J. Weinreb and Janet L. Walterdink
3. Principles of Neurology Companion Handbook, by R.D. Adams and M. Victor.

Website
The Brain and Behavior Course Website, accessible to NYU medical students and course faculty has up-to-date information about the course content and scheduling as well as a growing library of useful and, we hope, interesting material. Comments and suggestions about the website are genuinely desired and should be directed to Dr. Hillman and/or Dr. Rubinson.

In Conclusion
Although most students find Brain and Behavior interesting, it can also be a challenge. We know that it covers a lot a information, some of it complex and some of it demanding skill in spatial relations. If you require help beyond the regular class exercises, it is available from the lab instructors, conference leaders and lecturers. (If you have trouble contacting them, let me know).

Have something to say? Please see me at the lectures (I try to attend all of them) or call the course assistant at ext. 35410, to arrange an appointment. However, the most effective means of communication is via e-mail at (kr4@nyu.edu).

Kalman Rubinson, Ph.D.
Brain and Behavior Course Director
March 2007

Last updated: March 2, 2007