This subject introduces students to the biological basis of conscious behaviour in humans and animals and the methodologies used to study this. The content will extend from the basic genetic and molecular mechanisms of normal brain function to systems biology underlying sensory information processing for attention, action and object recognition. Biological interactions between the molecular mechanisms of learning (neuroplasticity) and memory will be explored. The impact of physiological and psychosocial stressors will be examined in the context of brain imaging of neural networks from childhood to old age, and in instances of acquired brain injury, affective disorders and during rehabilitation.

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