Patrick Haggard's section on Neural Representations.
Aims
This course will examine how neural activity represents events in the outside world.
Objectives
By the end of this course you should:
* understand the methods by which neurons code features of stimuli
* understand the means by which neural coding has been studied
* understand how groups of neurons form a topographic map
* understand distortions and plasticity of neural maps
* be able to compare and contrast the representations seen in different brain areas
Lecture 1
Coding of stimuli by single neurons. "Labelled lines". Tuning of neurons. Methods of localising function
Lecture 2
Spatial representation in the superior colliculus. Retinotopic maps and motor maps. Multimodal representation.
Lecture 3
Development and learning in collicular maps. Interactions between modalities.
Lecture 4
Cognitive maps in the hippocampus. "Place cells": arguments for and against. Hippocampal neural networks as spatial associative memories.
Lecture 5
Parietal cortex. Unilateral spatial neglect in man.
Lecture 6
Anosognosia, body maps and the self. Alien hand syndrome.
Lecture 7
Body maps: sensory and motor cortex. Plasticity of cortical maps with sensorimotor experience.
References
There is no single text book for this course. However, much relevant material on neural representation of space can be found in Brain and Space. Ed. J Paillard. OUP. 1991. This book contains a collection of review papers, mostly of a high standard, on superior colliculus, hippocampus and parietal cortex among others.
Seminars
If you have been asked to prepare a seminar on the material for this course, you will find some suggested topics on the internet at:
http://www.psychol.ucl.ac.uk/patrick.haggard/b236_representation/semi nars.html