Description: This course will provide the participants with an advanced understanding of the human somato-sensory system, which will be useful for later courses in sensory-motor integration. Furthermore, the course will provide a basic understanding of cortical representation and functional characterisation of the human sensory system. Examples of cortical changes in health and disease will be discussed. Basic research by PET/fMRI neuroimaging and EEG/MEG brain mappings will be presented.

Topics:
• Overview of the somato-sensory system
• Transduction mechanisms & psychophysics
• Mechanoreception and thermoreception
• Proprioception
• Superficial nociception
• Deep nociception
• High-order cortical representation of sensory processing
• The somato-sensory cortex
• Central regulation of pain perception
• Brain plasticity

Literature
Selected papers and book chapters will be announced to the participants shortly before the course.

Prerequisites
The students should be well orientated in part I and II of "Principles of neural science", Kandel et al., "Neuroscience" (2nd edition), Purves D, Augustine GA, Fitzpatrik D, Katz LC, LaMantia A-S, McNamara JO, William SM (2001). Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates. (Part I: neural signaling; Part II: sensation and sensory processing; Part IV: the changing brain).

Evaluation
The course will end with a multiple choice evaluation with questions related to all topics of the course.

Organizer: Professor Thomas Graven-Nielsen, e-mail: tgn@hst.aau.dk

Lecturers: Professor Thomas Graven-Nielsen, Professor Ole K. Andersen, Associate Professor Laura Petri, Aalborg University

ECTS: 1.5 (subject to changes)

Time: 14, 21, 28 September, 06, 19 and 26 October 2015 (12.30-14.15)

Place: Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajres Vej 7E, room E3-109

Zip code: 9220

City: Aalborg

Number of seats:

Deadline: 24 August, 2015