Learning objectives
to provide detailed knowledge of the sense organs and the visual system.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of anatomo-physiological features of the nervous system. Basic knowledge of the physiology of the nerve cell.
Course unit content
Anatomo-physiological aspects of the sense organs with particular emphasis on the vestibular pathways;
anatomical-functional aspects of the retina, the visual pathways and primary and higher-order visual areas and the brain structures responsible for controlling eye movements.
The part of the course reserved for students of the degree course in hearing aid techniques will deal with the anatomical-physiological aspects of the ear, the auditory pathways and the acoustic cortices.
Full programme
Anatomo-functional organization of the sensory systems starting from the peripheral structures up to the portions concerning the central nervous system, with particular emphasis on the vestibular system.
Notes on the anatomy of the eye. Structure of the retina and photo transduction process. Characteristics of ganglion cells. Anatomy of the visual pathways from the retina to the primary visual cortex. Magnocellular and parvocellular pathways. Deficits resulting from lesions of the visual pathways. Neuronal structure and characteristics of the primary visual cortex. Visual avenues of higher order. Perception of movement, depth, shape and color. Visual attention. Agnosie. Subcortical and cortical control of the different types of eye movements. Eye reflexes.
Bibliography
Chapters on the visual system, from "Principal of Neural Science. of Kandel, Schwartz and Jessel.". or "Essentials of Neural Science and Behavior of of Kandel, Schwartz and Jessel."
eurofisiologia. Di Battaglini, Faraguna, Fogassi, Rozzi. Della Edra editore.
Le Neuroscienze: dalla fisiologia alla clinica. Di Franco Fabbro della Carocci editore.
Fondamenti di Neuroscienze, David Presti, Mulino editore
Lo sappiamo quando lo vediamo. Einaudi. di Masland.
Teaching methods
Lectures with the aid of visual support (slides)
Assessment methods and criteria
Oral examination in which one question will focus on the Human Physiology module, one on the Physiology of the visual system and one on the part of applied technical medical sciences
Other information
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