Methods in Neuroscience 2500-EN-CS-EM-01

After successfully completing the course, students will be able to:
1. Explain the theoretical foundations of major methods used in cognitive neuroscience, including behavioral paradigms, lesion studies, psychophysiological techniques, noninvasive brain stimulation, and neuroimaging.
2. Compare and evaluate the strengths and limitations of different methodological approaches for investigating brain–behavior relationships.
3. Select and justify appropriate methods for addressing specific research questions in cognitive neuroscience.
4. Identify and discuss practical and ethical issues related to the application of cognitive neuroscience methods.
5. Interpret basic experimental designs and results obtained using cognitive neuroscience techniques.
6. Critically assess published research in the field with respect to methodological choices and their implications for conclusions drawn.

Learning activities and teaching methods:
The lecture will be interspersed with group discussions and collaborative problem analysis.

Assessment methods: Comprehensive Written Exam, this assessment will comprise both single-choice and short-answer questions.

Components of the final grade and their weights: Exam 100%

Grading scale
95% or more = 5!
90-94% = 5
80-89% = 4.5
70-79% = 4
60-69% = 3.5
50-59% = 3
below 50% = 2 (fail)

Exams in the exam session
Requirements for taking the exam: attendance at lectures (see below)
Possibility (and requirements) for retaking the exam in case of a positive grade: exam cannot be retaken in case of a positive grade
Early Exam Session (“Zerówka”): not applicable

Attendance rules:
Maximum 2 unexcused absences are allowed; missing more than 4 lectures is equivalent to the course failure.

Topics:

1. Introduction to neuroscience

2. Behavioral paradigms

Jensen, A.R. (2006). Clocking the mind: Mental chronometry and individual differences. Oxford, Elsevier. Chapter 2.

3-4. Neuropsychological assessment & lesions

Vaidya, A. R., Pujara, M. S., Petrides, M., Murray, E. A., & Fellows, L. K. (2019). Lesion Studies in Contemporary Neuroscience. Trends in cognitive sciences, 23(8), 653–671.

5-6. Meta-analysis

Çoğaltay, N., Karadağ, E. (2015). Introduction to Meta-Analysis. In: Karadağ E. (ed.) Leadership and Organizational Outcomes. Springer, pp. 19-28.

Gordon, C. L., Cobb, P. R., & Balasubramaniam, R. (2018). Recruitment of the motor system during music listening: An ALE meta-analysis of fMRI data. PloS one, 13(11), e0207213.

7-8. Psychophysiology & eye tracking

Shaffer, F., McCraty, R., & Zerr, C. L. (2014). A healthy heart is not a
metronome: an integrative review of the heart's anatomy and heart rate
variability. Frontiers in psychology, 5, 1040.

Torous, J., Onnela, J. P., & Keshavan, M. (2017). New dimensions and new
tools to realize the potential of RDoC: digital phenotyping via
smartphones and connected devices. Translational psychiatry, 7(3),
e1053.

Seagull, J. (2015). Methods and Applications of Eye Tracking. In: Hoffman, R. et al. (ed.) The Cambridge Handbook of Applied Perception Research. Cambridge University Press. Chapter 5, pp. 60 – 78.

9-10. EEG and ERPs

Pizzagalli, D. A. (2007). Electroencephalography and high-density electrophysiological source localization. In J. T. Cacioppo, L. G. Tassinary, & G. G. Berntson (Eds.), Handbook of psychophysiology (pp. 56–73). Cambridge University Press.

Ibanez, A., Melloni, M., Huepe, D., Helgiu, E., Rivera-Rei, A., Canales-
Johnson, A., ... & Moya, A. (2012). What event-related potentials (ERPs)
bring to social neuroscience?. Social neuroscience, 7(6), 632-649. (T)

11-12. Noninvasive brain stimulation

Veniero, D., Strüber, D., Thut, G., & Herrmann, C. S. (2019). Noninvasive Brain Stimulation Techniques Can Modulate Cognitive Processing. Organizational Research Methods, 22(1), 116–147.

Filmer, H. L., Dux, P. E., & Mattingley, J. B. (2014). Applications of
transcranial direct current stimulation for understanding brain function.
Trends in neurosciences, 37(12), 742-753.

13-14. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging & Resting-state fMRI:

Soares, J. M., Magalhães, R., Moreira, P. S., Sousa, A., Ganz, E., Sampaio, A., Alves, V., Marques, P., & Sousa, N. (2016). A Hitchhiker's Guide to Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Frontiers in neuroscience, 10, 515.

Seghier, M. L., Fahim, M. A., & Habak, C. (2019). Educational fMRI: From the Lab to the Classroom. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 2769.

Smitha, K. A., Akhil Raja, K., Arun, K. M., Rajesh, P. G., Thomas, B., Kapilamoorthy, T. R., & Kesavadas, C. (2017). Resting state fMRI: A review on methods in resting state connectivity analysis and resting state networks. The neuroradiology journal, 30(4), 305–317.

15. Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS)

Chen, W. L., Wagner, J., Heugel, N., Sugar, J., Lee, Y. W., Conant, L., Malloy, M., Heffernan, J., Quirk, B., Zinos, A., Beardsley, S. A., Prost, R., & Whelan, H. T. (2020). Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Its Clinical Application in the Field of Neuroscience: Advances and Future Directions. Frontiers in neuroscience, 14, 724.