ECE 52800 - Measurement and Stimulation of the Nervous System

Course Details

Lecture Hours: 3 Credits: 3

Areas of Specialization:

  • Bioengineering

Counts as:

  • EE Elective
  • CMPE Special Content Selective

Normally Offered:

Each Spring

Requisites:

ECE 30100 and 30200 and must be enrolled as a junior, senior or graduate classification.

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, sensory-motor function, electrical and magnetic stimulation, functional neuroimaging, disorders of the nervous system, development and refinement of sensory prostheses.

Required Text(s):

  1. Neuroengineering , 1st Edition , D. DiLorenzo , CRC Press , 2007 , ISBN No. 9780849381744

Recommended Text(s):

  1. Cellular Biophysics (Volume 2): Electrical Properties , 1st Edition , T. F. Weiss , MIT Press , 1995 , ISBN No. 0-262-23184-0
  2. From Neuron to Brain , 4th Edition , J. G. Nicholls, A. R. Martin, B. G. Wallace, P. A. Fuchs , Sinauer Associates, Inc., 2001 , 2001 , ISBN No. 0-87893-439-1
  3. The Human Brain Coloring Book , M.C. Diamond, A. B. Scheibel, and L.M. Elson , Harper Perennial , 1985 , ISBN No. 0-06-460306-7

Learning Outcomes

A student who successfully fulfills the course requirements will have demonstrated:

  • the ability to design and utilize models of neural systems to explain or predict physiologic behavior
  • the ability to verbally present information related to measurement of the nervous system
  • a systems-level understanding of the organization and operation of sensory-motor function
  • an understanding of the ethical constraints on the development and testing of sensory prostheses
  • the ability to examine the literature, summarize and present current and past research directed toward the improvement or replacement of impaired sensory function

Lecture Outline:

Week(s) Topics
1 Overview of the nervous system; basic neuroanatomy
3 Neurophysiology (cellular models; stochastic operation)
2 Overview of neural systems
1 Student presentations on nervous system measurement and stimulation
2 Neural measurement and stimulation techniques
2 Operation, measurement and correction of auditory system
2 Operation, measurement and correction of motor system
2 Student research paper presentations

Assessment Method:

1. Outcomes 1), 3) and 4) will be assessed by the performance of the student on six homeworks assigned through the course of the semester. 2. Outcome 2) will be assessed by both 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. 3. Outcome 5) will require a two part assessment process. The verbal presentation will be evaluated both by 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 upon class enrollment.