Entry requirements
MSc Psychology (research) students. The students should have followed mandatorily the course Cognitive Neuroscience (or something similar in another country).
Description
Neuromodulation is the process in which several classes of neurotransmitters in the nervous system regulate diverse populations of neurons (one neuron uses different neurotransmitters to connect to several neurons). In recent years, there has been a considerable increase in interest how cognition is shaped by neuromodulation and key roles of several transmitter systems were identified. This course is intended to review and discuss state-of-the-art developments in neuromodulation, covering issues like the roles of acetylcholine and serotonin in memory, of dopamine in learning and executive control, and of norepinephrine in visual attention. No clinical relevant topics will be addressed in the course.
Ways to manipulate neuromodulation experimentally to study the physiological bases of human cognition are also discussed. Each course meeting aims to provide a deeper insight into the theoretical and methodological background of a current research interest. On the basis of 6 seminar meetings , each student will prepare a research proposal, which consists of a critical review of the literature relevant to the chosen topic, and recommendations for future research. The research proposal will be mandatorily about cognitive functions, no clinical or social themes will be allowed.
Course objectives
The course has as its main objective the introduction to the basic approaches to neuromodulation of cognition.
Timetable
For the timetables of your lectures, work groups and exams, please select your study programme in:
Psychology timetables
Registration
Course
Students need to enroll for lectures and work group sessions.
Master’s course registration
Examination
Students are not automatically enrolled for an examination. They can register via uSis from 100 to 10 calendar days before the date. Students who are not registered will not be permitted to take the examination.
Registering for exams
Mode of instruction
7 seminars
Assessment method
The assessment is based on:
Individual presentation
Individual papers
Essay questions
The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences has instituted that instructors use a software programme for the systematic detection of plagiarism in students’ written work. In case of fraud disciplinary actions will be taken. Please see the information concerning fraud.
Reading list
Readings available via ‘Blackboard’. Exemplary literature includes:
Nieuwenhuis, S., Gilzenrat, M.S., Holmes, B.D., & Cohen, J.D. (2005). The role of the locus coeruleus in mediating the attentional blink: A neurocomputational theory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 134, 291-307.
Colzato, L. S., Hertsig, G., van den Wildenberg, W., & Hommel, B. (2010). Estrogen modulates inhibitory control in healthy human females: Evidence from the stop-signal paradigm. Neuroscience, 167, 709-715.
Colzato, L. S., van den Wildenberg, W., van der Does, A.J.W., & Hommel, B. (2010). Genetic Markers of Striatal Dopamine Predict Individual Differences in Dysfunctional, but not Functional Impulsivity. Neuroscience, 170, 782-788.
Contact information
Dr. Lorenza Colzato
colzato@fsw.leidenuniv.nl