Neuroscience '07 at RWJMS Course Director, Nancy L. Hayes, (e-mail: neuro@umdnj.edu) Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Course Goals and Objectives Last updated December 11, 2006

The Neuroscience course focuses on understanding the structure and function of the human brain. In addition, there is substantial emphasis on clinical problem solving. To achieve these goals we use a combination of methods (lectures, labs, patient presentations, discussions, self-study, etc.) to provide opportunities for acquiring skills and knowledge related to 4 areas: Human Neuroanatomy, Function of the Human Brain, Clinical Knowledge and Problem Solving, and Molecular and Cellular Bases of CNS Function and Disease.

1. Human Neuroanatomy: The goal of this part of the course is to understand the structure of the human brain, i.e., the names and locations of its component parts, the blood supply, etc. You are expected to be able to identify the major structures of the brain (both surface and internal) in brain specimens, in histological sections (stained for either cells or myelin), MRI's, angiograms and other clinically related imaging techniques. Most of the material in this part of the course will be covered in the first block and is reviewed continuously throughout the course.
2. Function of the Human Brain: The goal of this part of the course is to understand the function of the human brain and each of its parts. One of the most important elements of this goal is to understand the connections that carry information from one part of the brain to another as well as from the peripheral sensory organs to the brain, and also from the brain to the muscles and glands. These anatomical connections divide the CNS into functional "Systems." Most of the material related to this part of the course is covered during the second and third blocks, but it builds upon the understanding of structure that was developed during the first block.
3. Clinical Knowledge and Problem Solving: The goal of this part of the course is to understand the basis for making clinically relevant decisions about the location of a CNS lesion or the nature of the underlying disease process. The emphasis is on the observation of various kinds of signs and symptoms during a neurological exam or interview, understanding their significance, and the ability to integrate this clinical information with the basic science information from the other parts of this course. The interpretation of clinical cases is a substantial portion of the written examinations.
4. Molecular and Cellular Bases of CNS Function and Disease: The goal of this part of the course is to understand the function of the CNS at the molecular and cellular levels and to understand how disruption of these functions can lead to neurological disease. The emphasis is on the cell types of the nervous system, the molecular interactions that occur during development and to maintain the normal health of the brain, and what goes wrong during specific diseases. Focus is also placed on the exploitation of this knowledge to develop therapies for brain repair. The material related to this part of the course is included in all 3 blocks.