NS 704 Description:

The nature and the neural basis of consciousness is a foundational question in neuroscience. As a scientific inquiry, it speaks to the existence of reality as we perceive it, and from a translational and therapeutic perspective, a fundamental understanding of the biological basis of consciousness has implications for disorders ranging from psychiatric disorders to the disorders of consciousness. In this course, we will start with a brief overview of the current neuroscientific frameworks and theories to study consciousness, and then as we move forward, will discuss the recent literature on the neurobiology of physiological (sleep), pharmacological (anesthesia, psychedelic states), and pathological states (coma, vegetative state) of consciousness. The students will participate in discussion and presentation of recent relevant literature.