PSYCH 4600 - Neural Representations

(BIO-AS, PBSS-AS)

Spring. 3 credits. Student option grading.

Prerequisite: two courses in neuroscience or biological psychology, or permission of instructor. Co-meets with PSYCH 6600.

T. Cleland.

Neurons generate action potentials. Brains underlie feeding, fighting, fleeing, and reproduction, also navigation, attention, sociality, art, and science. What about the middle part? This advanced seminar course examines the construction and transformations of neural representations that enable animals to comprehend and interact effectively with their environments. The curriculum emphasizes integration across levels of analysis and organization, including cellular and synaptic physiology, the emergent properties of networks, energy and information management, quantitative modeling, cognitive algorithms, and adaptive behavioral outcomes.