ANAT C3045 Eye and
Brain
An
interdisciplinary course on the Anatomy, Physiology and Psychophysics of Vision
Aims: The aim is to provide students with an
understanding of the neurobiological basis of visual perception. Objectives: To
provide students with core knowledge about the functional anatomy and
physiology of the visual pathway from the retina to higher cortical areas and how
this knowledge can be used to explain perceptual experience. To introduce
students to a variety of methods of investigating visual neurobiology including
psychophysics, single cell recording, brain imaging, and the experimental study
of patients with brain damage.
Summary of Course Content: The course presents a
multidisciplinary approach to vision. It will cover anatomical, physiological,
genetic and psychological approaches, and will treat the neurobiology of vision
as an integrated subject. The course will examine the physiology and anatomy of
cells in the retina and central pathways, and show how cell properties underlie
the spatio-temporal processing carried out by the
visual system as revealed by psychophysical experimentation. The functions of
higher visual cortical areas will be studied through lectures on cortical
specialisation for the processing of motion and colour as indicated by data
from anatomical, physiological and neuropsychology investigations.
Course Organiser:
Andrew
Stockman
Institute of Ophthalmology
London EC1V
9EL
Phone: 020 7608 6914
email: a.stockman@ucl.ac.uk
Course
Web site (here):
http://www.cvrl.org
or http://cvrl.ucl.ac.uk
Course lecturers:
Prof. Jim
Bowmaker (Ophthalmology)), email: j.bowmaker@ucl.ac.uk
Prof. Mitch Glickstein (Anatomy), email: m.glickstein@ucl.ac.uk
Prof. Glen Jeffery (Ophthalmology), email: g.jeffery@ucl.ac.uk
Prof. Alan Johnston (Psychology), email: a.johnston@ucl.ac.uk
Prof. Tom
Salt (ophthalmology), email: t.salt@ucl.ac.uk
Dr. Stewart Shipp (Anatomy), email: s.shipp@ucl.ac.uk
Prof.
Andrew Stockman (Ophthalmology), email: a.stockman@ucl.ac.uk
External
Examiner: Dr. Joshua Solomon (City University)
ANAT3045 "Eye and
Brain" 2008 Timetable
ANATOMY room B15 unless otherwise stated.
Week 1
Monday 18th Feb 12-1 1.
Introduction to the course (AS)
Tuesday 19th Feb 2-3 2.
Comparative anatomy of the eye (MG)
Thursday 21st Feb 11-12 3. Phototransduction (AS)
Thursday 21st Feb 12-1 4. Evolution of photoreceptors and photopigments
(JB)
Week 2
Monday 25th Feb 12-1 5. Visual processing in the outer
retina (TS)
Monday 25th Feb 2-3 6.
Visual processing in the inner retina (TS)
Tuesday 26th Feb 2-4 Seminar
1. Retina seminar (TS)
Thursday 28th Feb 11-12 7. Development
of the visual system (GJ)
Thursday 28th Feb 12-1 8. Vision and visual psychophysics
(AS)
Week 3
Monday 3rd Mar 12-1 9.
Colour vision (AS)
Tuesday 4th Mar 2:30-4 Demo
1. Colour vision demonstrations (SS) Cruciform LT2
Thursday 6th Mar 11-12 10. Central visual pathways (MG)
Thursday 6th Mar 12-1 11.
Visuo-motor pathways (MG)
Friday 7th Mar Last day to hand in essay.
Week 4
Monday 10th Mar 12-1 12.
Multiple Visual Areas (SS)
Monday 10th Mar 2-4 Demo
2. Optical demonstrations (MG)
Tuesday 11th Mar 2-4 Seminar
2. Colour & psychophysics seminar (AS)
Thursday 13th Mar 11-12 13. Multiple visual pathways (SS)
Thursday 13th Mar 12-1 14. Visual Processing (AS)
Week 5
Monday 17th Mar 12-1 15.
Higher visual processing (SS)
Monday 17th Mar 2-4 Seminar
3. Higher cortical processing seminar (SS)
Tuesday 18th Mar 2-3 16.
Motion (AJ)
Tuesday 18th Mar 3-4 17.
Neuropsychology of vision (AJ)
N.B. Essays must be
handed in at the Anatomy Teaching office.
Recommended text books for the course
The First Steps in Seeing by R.W Rodieck
Visual Perception: Physiology, Psychology and
Biology by Vicki
Bruce, Patrick Green and Mark Georgeson
Recommended
reference sources for the course (for essays, seminars and background material)
The Visual Neurosciences by Leo Chalupa and John Werner
Webvision at http://webvision.med.utah.edu/
Lecture notes and references
Course
Assessment:
·
Assessment
will be based upon a final 3 hour examination worth 80% and course work worth
20%.
·
The
course work will include one essay (worth 10%) and a presentation given by the
student at one of the seminars (worth 10%).
The essay titles and topics for the seminar presentations will be
suggested by the individual course lecturers and posted on the Web site. The
essay and seminar must be on distinctly different topics.
·
Essays
should be 2000-2500 words in length, and in no circumstances exceed 3500 words.
They should be word-processed if possible. Clear diagrams are encouraged.
·
The
essay must be handed in to the Anatomy teaching office not later than the
Friday of the third week of the course.
·
The
final examination paper will contain two sections of 6 questions each (12
questions in all) and the rubric will read: "Answer THREE questions, not
more than TWO from each section. Credit will be given for imaginative and
critical discussion of experimental evidence relevant to the question being
answered. Use separate answer books for each question."
·
Section
A will contain questions based on lectures 1-9. Section B will contain
questions based on lectures in weeks 10-17.