The course aims to treat in a simple way the basic neurophysiological concepts for the understanding of nervous and mental functions that will be addressed in the most specialized courses. The first lectures describe the basic structure and physiology of the main functional units of the central nervous system (neuron, glia, and synapses), the origin of the neuron's membrane potential, the origin of the action potentials and their propagation along the axon, the structure and function of chemical synapses, the post- synaptic potentials and their integration into the post-synaptic neuron;The other lessons describe the macro and microscopic structure and the main functions of the various main components of the nervous system (spinal cord, brain stem and brainstem). For each component, example nerve circuits are described that can characterize its function. Concerning the brain, in addition to a description of the main macroscopic regions and their function, we have deepened in the description of the circuits of the Basal Ganglia and in the description of the cortical functional units. (the cortical columns).A final chapter was dedicated to memory, both through a neurophysiological classification and through the description of the known molecular mechanisms of synaptic plasticity phenomena and of the case of the HM patient.
- Docente: Aram Megighian
