Inside the Disordered Brain: Biological Bases of the Major Mental Disorders

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 4765

How do subtle disturbances in brain circuits lead to abnormal behavior and psychopathology? This course provides students with a working knowledge of our rapidly evolving understanding of brain circuits that create order in our social, emotional and cognitive worlds, and how disorder within these circuits leads to a broad range of psychopathology including depression, anxiety, phobias, PTSD, OCD, addiction, schizophrenia, psychopathy and violence. PREREQ: Psych 100B and one of the following: Biological Psychology (Psych 3401), Abnormal Psych (Psych 354), or a basic Biology/Neuroscience course.
Course Attributes: FA NSM; AR NSM; AS NSM

Biological Pathways to Psychopathology: From genes and the environment to brain and behavior

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 4746

This seminar will introduce students to methods and recent empirical literature evaluating links between genes, brain, and behavior. This research is beginning to illuminate specific biological pathways shaping risk for psychopathology. In particular, the course focuses on the design, analysis, and interpretation of multimodal research (e.g., fMRI, PET, EEG, pharmacology, molecular genetics, environmental assessment/manipulation) examining the biological underpinnings of behavior relevant to psychopathology. Primary journal articles, reviews, and book chapters are the readings for this seminar. PREREQ: Psych 100B and one of the following: Genes, Environment, and Human Behavior (Psych 345), Biological Psychology (Psych 3401), or Principles of Biology II (Biol 2970); OR Graduate Standing (prior coursework in psychology, neuroscience, and genetics is advised).
Course Attributes: AS NSM; FA SSC; AR SSC

Introduction to Computational Cognitive Science

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 4631

How does the mind work? Over the last few decades, cognitive psychologists have become increasingly interested in using computational models. These models are designed to describe cognitiveprocesses, and the behavior that is produced by them. This computational approach has several advantages. Computational theories of cognition are more specific than verbal theories. Therefore, they do not only afford precisely quantifying certain aspects of cognition, but they also make it possible to simulate cognitive processes. This course provides an introduction to several leading computational methods for understanding cognition, covering model fitting and comparison, reinforcement learning, neural networks and Bayesian modeling. These methods will be applied to a wide range of cognitive phenomena, such as short-term memory, reinforcement learning, decision making, cognitive control, concept learning and visual perception. Familiarity with programming (e.g., Java, C++, MATLAB, Python) and basic math will be very useful for you, but they are not strictly required.PREREQ: Psych 100B AND Psych 301/3011.
Course Attributes: FA NSM; BU BA; AR NSM; AS NSM

False Memory

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 4612

It is well-accepted that our visual systems can sometimes lead us astray, leading to visual illusions. It can be harder to realize how readily our memories can also lead us astray, resulting in illusory memories or false memories. This course will focus on the many ways in which false memories are exhibited and what we can learn from them about memory more generally. Topics will range from eyewitness memory and flashbulb memories to more everyday conversational false memories. We will also learn about how imagination and remembering interact. Many false memory controversies exist, and we will explore some of them. Finally, we will consider how false memories might be considered an adaptive feature of a flexible cognitive system, which usually serves us well but, in the right circumstances, can also lead us astray. PREREQ: Psych 100B and EITHER Psych 221, OR Psych 360, OR Psych 380.
Course Attributes: BU BA; AS SSC; EN S

Seminar in Selected Topics in Learning & Memory: Cognitive Illusions

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 461

This course will consider illusions of perceiving, attending, remembering and, more broadly, thinking. The reading will be concentrated on three books (Blink, The Invisible Gorilla, and Thinking Fast and Slow) as well as selected journal articles. We will consider how processes that lead us astray in some situations are the same ones that aid us in other situations, which is why these processes exist. Students will write essays and a term paper on one illusion or class of illusions.PREREQ: Psych 100B AND EITHER Psych 360, Psych 380.
Course Attributes: BU BA

Biopsychosocial Aspects of Eating Disorders and Obesity

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 4557

This seminar examines the epidemiology, etiology, prevention, and treatment of body image, eating disorders, and obesity. An emphasis will be placed on understanding the characteristic symptoms of excessive dieting, body image disturbance, and binge eating, not only as formal psychiatric syndromes, but as a representation of disregulatory processes reflecting social-cultural, psychological, and biological disturbances. Students will also learn about the clinical characteristics, medical sequelae, and physical aspects of eating disorders and obesity. PREREQ: Psych 100B and junior or senior standing, plus 6 units of advanced home-based psychology courses.
Course Attributes: EN S; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC

Emotion Regulation

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 5958

The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to the field of emotion regulation. We will discuss theoretical and empirical work on emotion regulation from various areas of psychology, including social, personality, developmental, clinical, and neuroscience. Example topics include definitional issues, goals and strategies, personal and interpersonal consequences, sociocultural influences, life-span development, health and psychopathology. PREREQ: Psych 301.
Course Attributes: EN S; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC

Psychology of Language

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 433

This course surveys current research and theory in psycholinguistics, covering the biological bases, cognitive bases, and learning of language. We consider studies of normal children and adults, the performance of individuals with various types of language disorders, and computer simulations of language processes. Topics range from the perception and production of speech sounds to the management of conversations. PREREQ: Ling 170D and Psych 100B.
Course Attributes: EN S; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC

Social Gerontology

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 5427

This course provides an introduction to aging and growing old, from an interdisciplinary perspective. Specific attention is paid to demographics, physical health and illness, mental health, interpersonal relations, work issues, living arrangements, ethics, and death and dying. PREREQ: Graduate Standing Only
Course Attributes: EN S; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC

Neuropsychology of Dementia

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 4048

The primary goal of this course is to acquaint students with the basic features of common dementia subtypes, such as Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementias, vascular dementia, Lewy body disease, Huntington's disease and Parkinson's disease. The course will cover the clinical manifestations (cognitive and behavioral symptoms, course, prognosis), neuroanatomical signatures, pathophysiology, intervention and treatment, and current research directions. Students will gain a detailed understanding of the major dementia subtypes as manifestations of underlying brain pathology and anatomical patterns of brain damage. Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to (1) identify and distinguish the most common dementia subtypes based on knowledge of clinical presentation and disease mechanisms; (2) understand how underlying brain changes may be linked to specific clinical manifestations; (3) understand how therapeutic strategies are linked to pathophysiology; (4) engage in scholarly discussion about the topics; and (5) read and critique empirical research papers. PREREQ: Psych 100B, Psych 326, and EITHER Biol 3411, OR Psych 344, OR Psych 3401.
Course Attributes: FA NSM; BU BA; AR NSM; AS NSM