Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Psychobiology
Other languages of instruction: Catalan
Teaching staff
Lecturers:
Anna Carballo Márquez (acarballo@uic.es)
Maxim Canet (maxcanet44@uic.es)
Students will be attended after classes and/or by making an appointment.
Introduction
The subject of Psychobiology aims to offer students the necessary knowledge to understand the biological bases of behavior and human mental processes. In this sense, concepts related to psychogenetics (or behavioral genetics) will be addressed in order to understand the role that genetic factors, the environment and their interaction (epigenetics) play in the development of normal and pathological phenotypes. The structure, organization and functioning of the central and peripheral nervous system will also be studied, both microscopically and macroscopically, as well as the physiological bases that support neural communication. All this knowledge is considered necessary so that in the future professional development of the students, comprehensive, rigorous and holistic psychological care can be provided.
Pre-course requirements
N/A.
Objectives
- To learn basic principles of psychogenetics and behavioral genetics, as well as the different types of inheritance that can encode diseases, characteristics or disorders.
- To acquire basic knowledge about the structure, organization and functioning of the central nervous system.
- To describe the basic characteristics of neural communication.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN02 - At the end of the Degree, the student will be able to recall principles, procedures, theoretical models, functions, characteristics, advantages and limitations of psychological intervention or schools of psychology, the structures and processes involved in basic psychological functions and the nature of individual differences.
- CN03 - At the end of the Degree, the student will be able to identify the biological basis of the functions of psychology and human behaviour, with an understanding of how they work and their influence on other aspects of an individual.
- CN05 - At the end of the Degree, the student will be able to explain and identify the main stages of human development, their progression and identify the characteristic signs and symptoms of the most frequent psychological conditions in each stage of development.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Una vez el alumnado haya terminado la asignatura se pretende que sea capaz de:
a) Identifica la influencia de la herencia genética, del ambiente y de la epigenética en las bases genéticas de la conducta humana.
b) Diferencia entre los diferentes tipos de herencia genética y las diferentes patologías cromosómicas.
c) Reconoce los diferentes tipos de neuronas y de células gliales, su estructura y sus funciones principales.
d) Diferencia las distintas subdivisiones del sistema nervioso.
e) Identifica las estructuras que conforman el sistema nervioso central y los mecanismos de protección del mismo.
f) Diferencia entre una sinapsis eléctrica y una sinapsis química y describe su funcionamiento.
g) Identifica los principales sistemas de neurotransmisión.
Syllabus
Theme 0. History and concept of psychobiology.
Block I: Fundamentals of Genetics
Theme 1. Genetic bases of behaviour
1.1. The genes
1.2. Inheritance-Environment: Epigenetics
1.3. Monogenic inheritance
1.4. Multifactorial inheritance
Block II: Functional and structural neuroanatomy
Theme 2. The cells of the nervous system
2.1. The neuron
2.1.1. Basic structure of the neuron
2.1.2. Classification: types and functions
2.2. Neuroglia of the central nervous system
Theme 3. Neuroanatomy
3.1. Organization of the nervous system
3.2. Neuroaxis
3.3. CNS Protection
3.4. Telencephalon
3.5. Diencephalon
3.6. Brainstem and cerebellum
3.7. Spinal cord
3.8. PNS
Theme 4. Neurodevelopment
4.1. Embryonic and fetal neurodevelopment
4.2. Neurodevelopment in childhood and adolescence
4.3. Aging
Theme 5. Neural communication
5.1. Synaptic transmission
5.1.1. Synapse concept
5.1.2. Types of synapses
5.1.3. Basic mechanisms of chemical synaptic transmission
5.1.4. Neurotransmitter systems
Teaching and learning activities
In person
| TRAINING ACTIVITY | METHODOLOGY |
| Lectures will be the setting in which students will learn and use the terminology and linguistic structures related to the sphere of study, for the purpose of practising and developing oral and written communication skills and becoming familiar with the literature and instruction materials provided to better integrate the curricular content. | Session in which the lecturer presents and explains the course content. This learning methodology allows for the use of audiovisual methodologies that support the content description. Students may interact and actively participate in this session. |
| The exercises provided and problems posed by the lecturer help students make headway in their academic career, and, guided by the lecturer, the students succeed in achieving short-term goals which facilitate the integration of theoretical knowledge. | Practical classes enable students to gain first-hand experience with their future work tools; small practical demonstrations of the theoretical knowledge acquired during the theory classes will be carried out in small groups or individually. Debates and discussion in large and small groups, which help develop the students’ critical thinking and judgement skills. This method encourages participation and initiative, the asking of constructive questions and the presentation of new problems that promote critical thinking. Group work promotes the convergence of the students’ ideas, tasks and proposals for the purpose of carrying out a cooperative project based on each student’s inter- and intrapersonal competences. |
| A non-classroom activity that helps students consolidate their knowledge, something that is always necessary before starting a new task. | This is the method whereby students work on their own. In each subject, the students will complete assignments that reflect their autonomous learning experience. The students will also prepare themselves for lifelong learning by learning to use educational materials and multimedia resources autonomously. This will be where they learn to self-regulate learning and develop their time management skills. This is where the students consolidate what they have learned through study, the looking up of information, the processing of data and the process of integration. |
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
Evaluation:
- 80% Written evaluation (10% mid-term test + 60% final test + 10% PIR exam)
- 20% Brain model
A minimum of 5 will be required in the written content tests to be able to average the other grades, and the subject will be approved with a minimum average of 5 taking into account all the evaluated parts. In case of suspending the written tests, it must be recovered in the 2nd call.
Retake:
- 80% Written test (all contents, no parcial marks will be considered)
- 20% Brain model (same grade than 1st call)
A minimum of 5 will be required on the test to average. The subject will be approved with a minimum average of 5 taking into account all the evaluated parts.
The evaluation will always respect the general regulations established in the Degree of Psychology regarding spelling mistakes, redaction and plagiarism.
Students who repeat the subject:
Repeat students can waive the continuous assessment and go directly to the subject's final exam (whose mark will represent 100% of the subject's mark), as long as they have the approval of the responsible teaching staff.
|
ASSESSMENT SYSTEM |
|
The students’ active attendance in class reflects their degree of involvement through their level of interest and their interaction with the lecturer and the rest of their classmates. An individual written test that includes the most general and relevant aspects of the subject matter under evaluation. These exams will assess the students’ ability to listen to and understand the main ideas of the course content, as well as their ability to understand the literature specific in their area of study and use the relevant terminology. The written exams will also assess concepts specific to the degree programme’s various subjects. They will be structured into partial and/or final exams, final exercises, online questionnaires and the analysis of scientific articles. Students will be asked to deal with case studies, in order to apply the theoretical content learned in class in a real or simulated situation. |
Bibliography and resources
- Alberts, B., Bray, D., Hopkin, K., Johnson, A., Lewis, J., y Raff, M. (2011). Introducción a la biología celular. Madrid: Editorial Médica Panamericana.
- Carlson, N.R. (2014) Fundamentos de fisiología de la conducta. 11ª edición. Madrid: Pearson.
- Del Abril Alonso, A., Ambrosio Flores, E., de Blas Calleja, M. R., Caminero Gómez, Á., García Lecumberri, C., & de Pablo González, J. M. (2009). Fundamentos de psicobiología. Sanz y Torres.
- Kolb, B.Y., y Whishaw, I. (2006). Neuropsicología humana. Madrid: Editorial Médica Panamericana
- Netter, F. (1989). Sistema nervioso. Anatomía y fisiología. Barcelona: Salvat.
- Pinel, J. (2009) Biopsicología. Madrid: Prentice-Hall.
- Purves, D. (2016). Neurociencia. Madrid: Editorial Médica Panamericana.
- Redolar, D. (2014). Neurociencia cognitiva. Madrid: Editorial Médica Panamericana.
- Rosenzweig, M.R.; Breedlove, S.M; y Watson, N.V. (2005). Psicobiología: una introducción a la neurociencia conductual, cognitiva y clínica. Barcelona: Ariel.
- Stahl, S.M. (2002). Psicofarmacología esencial. Bases neurocientíficas y aplicaciones clínicas. Barcelona: Ariel.
- Talairach, J., y Tournoux, P. (1993). Referentially Oriented Cerebral MRI Anatomy. Atlas of Stereotaxic Anatomical Correlations for Gray and White Matter. Stuttgart: Georg Thieme Verlag/Thieme medical Publishers.
Evaluation period
- E1 13/01/2025 A12 08:00h