Hormones and BehaviorHormones and Behavior Donna Toufexis The University of Vermont Instructor’s Contact Information: Office: Dewey 302 Phone: 6-3497 Email: [email protected] Office Hours: Monday 2-3 p.m. By appointment Course Information: PSYC 295 Fall 2010 Monday and Wednesday 4:05-5:20 Please note: This syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. I plan to keep these changes, if any, to a minimum; but occasionally adjustments are required. Course Description Objective: In this course we will study a broad range of topics in behavioral neuroendocrinology which will allow us to develop a sufficient background to be able to understand the all the basic literature on the subject. We will talk about hormonal involvement in cognition, emotion, the stress response, circadian and homeostatic mechanisms, psychopathology and reproductive behavior. Hormone- and brain structure- based sex differences will be discussed with respect to all the above mentioned topics. There will be a midterm test worth 30% of the final grade( date to be decided in class). 30% of the grade will be based on a group presentation. A final exam worth 40% covering material presented after the midterm exam will be given. Grades will be calculated using the following scale: A+=97 ‐100 A=93‐96 A‐=87‐92 B+=83‐86 B=77‐82 B‐=73‐76 C+=67‐72 C=63‐66 C‐=60‐62 D=57‐60 F<57 The test-book is: An Introduction to Behavioral Endocrinology 3rd edition By Randy J Nelson Published by Sinauer Press Times allocated are approximate Week 1+ 2 of class In the first section we will discuss general topics The Study of Behavioral Endocrinology (Chapter 1) - Historical Roots of Behavioral Endocrinology - The Study of Behavior - How Might Hormones Affect Behavior? - How Might Behavior Affect Hormones? - Classes of Evidence for Determining Hormone–Behavior Interactions - Common Techniques in Behavioral Endocrinology The Endocrine System (Chapter 2) - Chemical Communication - General Features of the Endocrine System - The Endocrine Glands - Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Hormone Action - The Major Vertebrate Hormones - How Hormones Are Regulated - The Evolution of HormonesThen in this order Homeostasis and Behavior (Chapter 9) - Basic Concepts in Homeostasis - Fluid Balance - Energy Balance - Control of Food Intake - Gonadal Steroid Hormones, Food Intake, and Body Mass Biological Rhythms (Chapter 10) - Exogenous versus Endogenous Control of Biological Clocks - Types of Biological Clocks and Rhythms - Circadian Clocks - Circadian Regulation of Food Intake - Circadian Control of Feeding - Food Entrainable Oscillators - Circannual and Seasonal Rhythms Stress (Chapter 11) - The Stress Response - Physiological Effects of the Stress Response - Pathological Effects of the Stress Response - Factors that Affect Stress Responsiveness - Stress and Social Behavior - Seasonal Fluctuations in Stress Responses - Psychological Factors in Stress and Coping - Stress and Drug Abuse MIDTERM EXAM Sex Determination and Differentiation (Chapter 3) - Sex Determination and Differentiation - Mammalian Sexual Differentiation - Avian Sexual Differentiation - Alternative Reproductive Tactics and Male Polymorphism - Environmental Sex Determination in Reptiles and Fishes - The Effects of Hormones on Sexually Dimorphic Behaviors Sex Differences in Behavior: Animal Models and Humans (Chapter 4) - Animal Models for Sexually Dimorphic Behaviors - Sex Differences in Human Behavior- Sex Differences in Cognitive Abilities Male Reproductive Behavior (Chapter 5) - The Proximate Bases of Male Sexual Behavior - Historical Origins of Research on Male Sexual Behavior - Male Sexual Behavior in Rodents - Male Sexual Behavior in Primates - Male Reproductive Behavior in Birds - Male Reproductive Behavior in Reptiles Female Reproductive Behavior (Chapter 6) - Early Discoveries about Female Sexual Behavior - Mammalian Female Mating Behavior: A Description - Are Females Active Participants in Sexual Behavior? - Components of Female Sexual Behavior - Female Reproductive Cycles - Experimental Analyses of Female Sexual Behavior Parental Behavior (Chapter 7) - What Is Parental Behavior? - Sex Differences in Parental Behavior - Parental Behavior in Birds - Parental Behavior in Mammals - Neural Changes Associated with Parental Behavior - Conclusions Hormones and Social Behavior (Chapter 8) - Affiliation - Aggression - Seasonal Changes in Social Behavior - Increases in Aggression at Puberty - Sex Differences in Social Behavior - Individual Differences in Aggression - Social Experience Feeds Back to Influence Hormone Concentrations - Physiological Mechanisms Mediating Hormonal Effects on Aggressive Behavior Learning and Memory and Hormones and Affective disorders (Chapters 12 and 13) Part 1. Learning and Memory - Components of Learning and Memory - The Effects of Hormones on Learning and Memory- Sex Differences in Learning and Memory Part 2. Hormones and Affective Disorders - Perimenstrual Syndrome - Hormones and Depression - Hormones and Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia - Androgens and Affective Disorders Followed by student presentations and review for final exam Standards of Academic Integrity: According to the UVM website (http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmppg/ppg/stud ent/acadintegrity.pdf) “All academic work (e.g., homework assignments, written and oral reports, use of library materials, creative projects, performances, in-class and take-home exams, extra-credit projects, research, theses and dissertations) must satisfy the following four standards of academic integrity: 1. All ideas, arguments, and phrases, submitted without attribution to other sources, must be the creative product of the student. Thus, all text passages taken from the works of other authors must be properly cited. The same applies to paraphrased text, opinions, data, examples, illustrations, and all other creative work. Violations of this standard constitute plagiarism. 2. All experimental data, observations, interviews, statistical surveys, and other information collected and reported as part of academic work must be authentic. Any alteration, e.g., the removal of statistical outliers, must be clearly documented. Data must not be falsified in any way. Violations of this standard constitute fabrication. 3. Students may only collaborate within the limits prescribed by