Special topics in brain and cognitive sciences

Lectures: 1 session / week, 3 hours / session

Memory is not a unitary faculty, but rather consists of multiple forms of learning that differ in their operating characteristics and neurobiological substrates. This seminar will consider current debates regarding the cognitive and neural architectures of memory, specifically focusing on recent efforts to address these controversies through application of functional neuroimaging (primarily fMRI and PET).

Through readings of conceptual "seed" articles and group discussion of neuroimaging investigations, the aim is to provide a forum in which new empirical efforts to address these debates may emerge. There are no prerequisites for this course.

100% for class participation. Again, both the seed and imaging readings should be completed prior to class. Students should be prepared to contribute to and participate in the discussion of the neuroimaging articles. The success of the discussions will be a direct function of the degree to which all participants come prepared to consider each paper.

For students interested in receiving credit towards their PhD major and/or minor, please contact TA to discuss the details of the additional requirements. In general, these requirements will consist of at least one paper proposing a novel fMRI study designed to address one of the debates considered during the term. The proposal should be relatively detailed, providing an initial theoretical and empirical review (going beyond the articles discussed in class), explication of the proposed experimental design, and delineation of predictions and implications. It is anticipated that such proposals would be approximately 15-20 pages. The proposal will constitute 50% of the final grade (the other 50% being class participation).

Don't show me this again

This is one of over 2,200 courses on OCW. Find materials for this course in the pages linked along the left.

MIT OpenCourseWare is a free & open publication of material from thousands of MIT courses, covering the entire MIT curriculum.

No enrollment or registration. Freely browse and use OCW materials at your own pace. There's no signup, and no start or end dates.

Knowledge is your reward. Use OCW to guide your own life-long learning, or to teach others. We don't offer credit or certification for using OCW.

Made for sharing. Download files for later. Send to friends and colleagues. Modify, remix, and reuse (just remember to cite OCW as the source.)

Learn more at Get Started with MIT OpenCourseWare