DEVELOPMENTAL COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE

Single discipline educational activity

Course Sheet

Course code:

PSICOG13

Academic Year of enrolment:

2022

Year of supply:

2022/2023

Type of Course:

Characterising

Degree:

Course of 2nd Cycle Degree in PSYCHOLOGY

Disciplinary Sector:

Psychobiology and Physiological Psychology

Language:

Italian

Location:

CHIETI

Credits:

Programme Year:

Professor and Collaborators:

SESTIERI CARLO

Cycle:

First semester

Hours of classroom activity:

Individual study hours:

136

Prerequisites:

Logical and reasoning abilities; knowledge of the anatomy and the
physiology of the nervous system and of the mechanisms of the
generation and transmission of neuronal signals, knowledge of the main
theories of psychological development; knowledge of experimental
methodology; ability to understand texts in English

Objectives

The course provides advanced knowledge on the nature of the
relationship between mind and brain and aims to provide advanced
knowledge on the functional maturation of the nervous system that
allows the development of the main cognitive functions, and on the role
of the environment and the experience, in the framework of cognitive
neuroscience. The student must demonstrate that he has acquired:
1) The understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that regulate the
maturation of the nervous system and the development of the main
cognitive functions, with particular attention to the complex interaction
between genetic and environmental factors
2) The understanding of the consequences of serious alterations of the
typical development trajectory and the ability to compare and
differentiate the main neurological / neuropsychological syndromes
affecting in the developmental age
3) The ability to refer to the experimental evidence, and to the relative
research hypotheses and methodologies, which support or contrast with
the main general theoretical formulations on the relationship between
neural and psychological development
4) the ability to organize and communicate the acquired knowledge in a
clear, effective, coherent narrative, using an appropriate scientific
language
5) The ability to express one's own point of view and to deepen
autonomously the topics, the experimental studies and the
methodologies of interest
The guided practical experience (EPG) aims to provide practical
knowledge in the use of tecniques for the study of anatomy and function
of the nervous system and of diagnostic tests for the assessment of
cognitive functions during development. Attending students will perform
a practical exercise of administration and correction of cognitive
development scales and will visit university laboratories that use
neuroimaging techniques in the field of developmental neuroscience,
including fMRI, NIRS and EEG. Students will make use of this knowledge
to analyze and discuss scientific articles dealing with the combination of
behavioral and neuroimaging techniques. Non-attending students will be
offered readings that examine the same aspects individually and in combination with each other

Contents

The course covers the main theories on the relationship between brain
maturation and cognitive development, the development of the nervous
system, the methods of investigation in developmental cognitive
neuroscience, the development of the main sensory systems, visual
orientation, social cognition, executive functions, memory and language.
Particular importance will be given to the role of genetics and
experiences in shaping the development of the nervous system and the
cognitive functions. Finally, the neural bases underlying attachment
bonds and stress response will be discussed.

Extended Syllabus

1. Phylogenesis and ontogenesis
2. Nature and culture
3. Constructivism
4. Theoretical perspectives
5. Overview of macroanatomy and functional anatomy
Development of the nervous system
1. Neurulation
2. Neurogenesis
3. Formation of the cerebral cortex
4. Programmed cell death
5. Differentiation of cortical areas
6. Lengthening of the axons
7. Synaptogenesis
8. Myelination
9. Post-natal development
Methodology
1. Behavioral techniques
2. Physiological indexes
3. Techniques for measuring brain activity
4. Animal and genetic studies
5. Studies on developmental disorders
Development of the visual system
1. Overview of the adult visual system
2. Development of visual acuity
3. Development of stereopsis
4. Development of accommodation and color perception
5. Development of the recognition of forms
6. Role of experience and critical periods
7. Effects of strabism, monocular and binocular deprivation
8. Instructional or permissive role of electrical activity
Orientation, Attention, Recognition and Action
1. Development of visual orienting
2. Maturational approach and marker tasks
3. Saccadic planning
4. Development of implicit attention
5. Development of the ventral and dorsal visual processing pathways
Recognition of faces and social cognition
1. Specificity of face recognition
2. Preference for faces at birth
3. Ethological studies on imprinting
4. Conspec and conlearn mechanisms
5. Hemispheric lateralization
6. Critical periods
7. Perception of the gaze and biological movement
8. Theory of mind
9. Disorders of social cognition
Auditory system and intermodal plasticity
1. Notes on the adult auditory system
2. Development of sensitivity to the intensity of the sound
3. Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR)
4. Development of frequency selectivity
5. Development of sound localization
6. Experience and critical periods for localization and discrimination of
sounds
7. Intermodal and intramodal plasticity
Long-term memory
1. Notes on memory systems
2. Development of implicit memory
3. Development of explicit memory and hippocampus
4. Development of relational, spatial and source memory
Prefrontal cortex: executive functions, working memory, decision-making
1. Prolonged development of the prefrontal cortex
2. Maintenance in memory and inhibition
3. A-non-B test and Wisconsin Card Sorting test
4. Theories on the development of executive functions
5. Phenylketonuria
6. Social decision-making
Language
1. Circuit of language
2. Universal steps in the development of language
3. Categorical perception and development of prototypes
4. Decline of universal discrimination
5. Language segmentation
6. Language directed to children
7. Sensitive and second language periods
8. Development of lateralization
9. Effects of early lesions
Attachment
1. Parental care strategies
2. Recognition of mother and offspring
3. Responses to separation and hidden regulators
4. Long-term effects of the lack of parental care
5. Transmission of behavior between generations
6. Attachment and response to stress
7. Epigenetic mechanisms

Recommended Bibliography

1. Title: Developmental psychobiology
Authors: Nicoletta Berardi and Tommaso Pizzorusso.
Publishing house: Laterza
Chapters 2-17
2. Title: Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. An introduction. (English
text)
Authors: Mark H. Johnson, Michelle de Haan.
Wiley Blackwell publishing house.
Chapters: 1, 4-10
3. Title: Neuroscienze. Esplorando il cervello.
Authors: Bear MF, Connors BW, Paradiso MA
Editors: Masson Editore (4th edition).
Chapter: 23.
4. Title: Handbook of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. (English Text)
Authors: Charles. A. Nelson, Monica Luciana.
Editors: The MIT Press.
Chapters: 33-34
5. Further material for practical lectures (EPG), in terms of scientific
articles, will be available on the e-learning platform

Methods of Provision

Conventional

Teaching Methods

The course consists of 48 hours of frontal teaching, divided into lessons
of 2 and 3 hours.
The lectures take advantage of the support of slides and concern
theoretical aspects of the discipline integrated by practical examples of
the main study paradigms.
In addition, guided practical exercises (EPG, 16 hours) are planned within
the course, which include reading and analysis of scientific articles,
practical experiences in the administration and correction of diagnostic
tests and a visit to neuroimaging laboratories.
Attendance is optional but highly recommended.

Evaluation methods

Verification of learning:

The verification of learning consists of an oral interview aimed at
assessing the understanding of the normal and pathological mechanisms
of the development of the nervous system and of the cognitive functions,
the ability to refer to experimental evidence in support of the arguments
and the ability to organize the speech in a clear, effective, critical way,
using appropriate scientific language.
Results will get 30/30 points at maximum.
For the EPG, attending students will discuss the topics covered during the
EPG while non-attending students will discuss the articles indicated in the e-learning platform.

Contacts/More Information

Slides of the course and other teaching material, also suggested for
deepening the knowledge, is available on the e-learning platform of the
course
Full frequency to lessons is highly recommended.
Office hours:
wednesday, 10-12AM,
Room 321, third floor, ITAB

Università degli Studi
"G. d'Annunzio"

Chieti - Pescara

Aree

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