ECE 595T - Measurement and Stimulation of the Nervous System

Course Details

Credits: 0

Counts as:

Experimental Course Offered:

Spring 2004

Catalog Description:

Introduction to the use of engineering principles to address questions of clinical significance in the nervous system. Topics include: neuroanatomy, fundamental properties of excitable tissues, hearing, vision, motor function, electrical and magnetic stimulation, functional neuroimaging, disorders of the nervous system, development and refinement of sensory prosthesis.

Required Text(s):

  1. The Human Brain: An Introduction to Its Functional Anatomy , 5th Edition , J, Nolte , Mosby, Inc. , 2002 , ISBN No. 0-323-01320-1

Recommended Text(s):

  1. Brain Activation , 1st Edition , P. E. Roland , John Wiley & Sons, Inc. , 1997 , ISBN No. 0-471-18441-1
  2. Cellular Biophysics (Volume 2): Electrical Properties , 1st Edition , T. F. Weiss , MIT Press , 1995 , ISBN No. 0-262-23184-0
  3. Functional Brain Imaging , 1st Edition , W. W. Orrison, Jr., J. D. Lewine, J. A. Sanders, and M. F. Hartshorne , Mosby-Year Book , 1994 , ISBN No. 0-8151-6509-9

Learning Outcomes:

A student who successfully fulfills the course requirements will have demonstrated:
  1. the ability to design and utilize models of neural systems to explain or predict physiologic behavior. [a,b,c,e]
  2. the ability to verbally present information related to measurement of the nervous system. [f,g,h]
  3. a systems-level understanding of the organization and operation of vision, audition, and motor function. [a,f,h,j]
  4. an understanding of the ethical constraints on the development and testing of sensory prostheses. [f,h,i,j]
  5. the ability to examine the literature, summarize and present current and past research directed toward the improvement or replacement of impaired sensory function. [a,b,c,e,f,g,h,i,j]

Engineering Design Content:

  • Establishment of Objectives and Criteria
  • Analysis

Engineering Design Consideration(s):

  • Economic
  • Ethical
  • Health/Safety
  • Social

Assessment Method:

Outcomes I, iii, and iv will be assessed by the performance of the student on 6 homeworks assigned through the course of the semester. Outcome ii will be assessed by both the instructor and peer evaluation of the quality of the verbal presentation and the degree to which the student conveys the most salient information about the measurement technique. Outcome v will require a two part assessment process. The verbal presentation will be evaluated by both the instructor and the students in the class. The research paper will be evaluated by the instructor for the quality of the document, the depth of knowledge demonstrated, and the comprehension of the relevance of the scientific work. All students will prepare and present research papers in groups of two or more, depending on class enrollment.