Psychology 4295G-001

Special Topics in Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience:  Neuroimaging of Human Cognition

If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.

 

Revised Jan 5, 2022

WESTERN UNIVERSITY

LONDON               CANADA

Department of Psychology

2021 - 2022

 

Psychology 4295G    Section 001

Special Topics in Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience: Neuroimaging of Human Cognition

 

Updated: 2022-01-03 due to rescheduling for COVID-19, 5th wave

 

  • CALENDAR DESCRIPTION

 

Brain imaging, particularly functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and more recently functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) have become common tools to study human brain regions and networks involved in cognitive functions. The course will be comprised of a combination of lectures and tutorials. The lectures will cover brain imaging technology, current techniques for experimental design and analysis, and a discussion of the merits and limitations of neuroimaging as a tool for understanding human brain function. By the end of the class, students should be able to read, understand, and critique papers in brain imaging.

 

Antirequisite: Psychology 3485: Research in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

 

Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. If you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.

 

Prerequisite: Psychology 2220A/B, Psychology 2221A/B or Neuroscience 2000; and registration in third or fourth year Honours Specialization in Psychology, Honours Specialization in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Honours Specialization in Neuroscience, or Honours Specialization in Animal Behaviour. Other Psychology students and Psychology Special Students who receive 70% in the prerequisite course(s) may enrol in this course.

 

Although neuroimaging statistics will be taught in a conceptual fashion with minimal equations, the course will assume an understanding of basic statistics (probabilities, p values, correlations, t tests, analysis of variance).

 

2 lecture hours; 2 tutorial hours; Course Weight: 0.5 credit.

 

Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.

 

 

2.0  COURSE INFORMATION

 

       Instructor: Jody Culham                                         

       Office and Phone Number: WIRB 4118         

       Office Hours: By appointment through http://jodyculham.youcanbook.me/    

       Email: jculham@uwo.ca                                         

 

Lectures: Tuesdays, 12:30-2:20 pm

     Online until at least January 31, 2022

                 Zoom: https://westernuniversity.zoom.us/j/91207700086

                 DO NOT POST THIS LINK PUBLICLY

     In-person

                 WIRB 1130

 

Tutorials: Thursdays, 12:30-2:20,

     Online until at least January 31, 2022

                 Gather.town: https://gather.town/app/jjDXyS6x35rII7eo/Psych4295G

                 DO NOT POST THIS LINK PUBLICLY

            In-person

                        WIRB 1130

 

 

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness @Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

 

Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Student Accessibility Services (formerly known as Services for Students with Disabilities) at 519-661-2147.

 

3.0  TEXTBOOK

 

Free drafts of chapters of the following textbook will be made available.

 

Culham, J. C. & Goebel, R. (In preparation). Working with fMRI. Psychology Press (Taylor & Francis).

 

Optional additional readings on specific topics will be provided through the course web site.

 

Tutorials will use free educational software, BrainVoyager EDU, which works on both Mac and PC

https://www.brainvoyager.com/products/brainvoyageredu.html

 

Tutorial materials will be adapted from:

https://www.newbi4fmri.com/

 

4.0  COURSE OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES

 

Course objectives

  • To provide students with a critical overview of the potential benefits and limitations of neuroimaging as a tool to understand human cognition
  • To provide students with sufficient understanding of neuroimaging approaches that they can read and critique articles on the topic and make appropriate choices regarding experimental design and analysis
  • To develop critical thinking skills in evaluating neuroscience research and its portrayal in the media
  • To enhance students’ understanding of how statistics can be used to test hypotheses
  • To give students a hands-on understanding of brain imaging analysis, with an emphasis not on “which buttons to push” in any particular software package but rather on why one might make certain decisions about design and analysis regardless of the software.
  • To foster skills in critical thinking, hypothesis generation, hypothesis testing, and writing

 

 

 

 

Learning Outcome

Learning Activity

Assessment

Depth and Breadth of Knowledge.

  • Understand strengths and limitations of neuroimaging

Lectures, tutorials, readings

Exams

Written Critique

Written Proposal

Knowledge of Methodologies.

  • Understand data collection approaches and analysis for fMRI and fNIRS

Lectures, tutorials, readings

Exams
Written Proposal

Application of Knowledge.

  • Apply understanding of neuroimaging design and analysis to novel scenarios
  • Generate a proposal for a new study

Tutorials, discussion

Exams

Written Critique

Written Proposal

Communication Skills.

  • Communicate ideas in written format with clear logic and compelling arguments

Written assignments

Written Critique

Written Proposal

Awareness of Limits of Knowledge.

  • Learn to assess the strengths and limitations of neuroimaging studies and the way they are represented in the media

 

Discussion, written critique

Written Critique

 

Autonomy and Professional Capacity.

  • Develop confidence to ask questions to clarify understanding; contribute to class discussions
  • Master complex ideas
  • Optional: Collaborate with peer on written proposal

Discussion, written assignments

Class participation

Written Critique

Written Proposal

 

 

5.0  EVALUATION

 

Midterm

20% of course grade

Thursday March 3

Multiple choice and short answer, 1 hour

 

Short written critique of a neuroimaging study and/or media report

15% of course grade

Due Thursday February 10

Maximum: 1000 words, excluding references and figures

 

Written project proposal abstract

10% of course grade

Due Thursday March 24

Maximum: 500 words, excluding references and figures

The main goal of this assignment is to ensure you don’t leave your proposal until the last minute and you get feedback early

If desired, students can work in pairs to complete the proposal (in which case both students would get the same proposal grade).

 

Written project proposal

30% of course grade

Due Friday April 8

Maximum: 4000 words, excluding references and figures

If desired, students can work in pairs to complete the proposal (in which case both students would get the same proposal grade).

 

Final exam

20% of course grade

Scheduled by registrar (April 10-30)

Multiple choice and short answer, 1 hour

 

Class participation

5% of class grade

1/5 attended rarely or sporadically

2/5 attended regularly

3/5 attended regularly; occasionally asked questions or contributed to discussion

4/5 attended regularly; frequently asked questions or contributed to discussion

5/5 attended regularly; regularly made insightful contributions to questions and discussions

 

 

5.1  POLICY ON MISSING COURSEWORK

 

Each component of the course must be completed unless special permission is granted by Academic Counselling due to extenuating circumstances.

Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations, you must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.

 

This course is exempt from the Senate requirement that students receive assessment of their work accounting for at least 15% of their final grade at least three full days before the date of the deadline for withdrawal from a course without academic penalty.

 

The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:

 

70%      1000-level to 2099-level courses

72%      2100-2999-level courses

75%      3000-level courses

80%      4000-level courses

 

The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines, which are as follows (see: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf)

 

A+        90-100              One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level

A          80-89                Superior work that is clearly above average

B          70-79                Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory

C          60-69                Competent work, meeting requirements

D          50-59                Fair work, minimally acceptable

F          below 50           Fail

 

Note that in the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.

 

Policy on Grade Rounding: Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered. To maximize your grade, do your best on each and every assessment within the course.

 

6.0  ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE

 

Feb. 10: Written Critique

March 3: Midterm Exam

March 24: Written Project Abstract

April 8: Written Project

Exam period: Final Exam (scheduled by Registrar, April 10-30)

 

 

7.0  CLASS SCHEDULE

 

Lecture

1

Tues

2022-01-11

Introduction to Course and Expectations

Tutorial

1

Thurs

2022-01-13

No tutorial

Lecture

2

Tues

2022-01-18

What are the basic principles of human neuroimaging?

Tutorial

2

Thurs

2022-01-20

No tutorial

Lecture

3

Tues

2022-01-25

What can and can’t we learn from neuroimaging?

Tutorial

3

Thurs

2022-01-27

Video Demonstration of fNIRS and/or fMRI

Lecture

4

Tues

2022-02-01

How are neuroimaging data organized?

Tutorial

4

Thurs

2022-02-03

Tutorial: Data Organization

Lecture

5

Tues

2022-02-08

How can statistics be applied to neuroimaging data?

Tutorial

5

Thurs

2022-02-10

Tutorial: Basic Statistics

Deadline

 

Thurs         2022-02-10

Written critique due (9:00 pm)

Lecture

6

Tues

2022-02-15

How can the General Linear Model be used to analyze neuroimaging data?

Tutorial

6

Thurs

2022-02-17

Tutorial: Statistics and the GLM

Lecture

Tues

2022-02-22

Reading Week

Tutorial

Thurs

2022-02-24

Reading Week

 

 

Lecture

7

Tues

2022-03-01

What makes a good experimental design and analysis pipeline?

Test

 

Thurs

2022-03-03

Midterm (covers Lectures/Tutorials 2-6)

Lecture

8

Tues

2022-03-08

How can participants’ data be combined for a group analysis?

Tutorial

8

Thurs

2022-03-10

Tutorial: Preprocessing and Group Data

Lecture

10

Tues

2022-03-15

How can advanced approaches help us understand brain function?

Tutorial

10

Thurs

2022-03-17

Tutorial: How to write a research proposal

Lecture

9

Tues

2022-03-22

How does optical neuroimaging differ from fMRI?

Tutorial

9

Thurs

2022-03-24

Tutorial: fNIRS data

Deadline

Thurs

2022-03-24

Proposal abstract due (9:00 pm)

Lecture

11

Tues

2022-03-29

How can neuroimaging be used to study brain connectivity?

Tutorial

11

Thurs

2022-03-31

Tutorial: Connectivity

 

Lecture

12

Tues

2022-04-05

What have we learned from neuroimaging and what is the future?

Tutorial

12

Thurs

2022-03-07

No tutorial

Deadline

Fri

2022-04-08

Written proposal due (9:00 pm)

Test

Registrar

Final (covers Lectures/Tutorials 7-12)

 

 

8.0  Land Acknowledgement

 

We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Attawandaron peoples, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum.

 

With this, we respect the longstanding relationships that Indigenous Nations have to this land, as they are the original caretakers. We acknowledge historical and ongoing injustices that Indigenous Peoples (e.g., First Nations, Métis and Inuit) endure in Canada, and we accept responsibility as a public institution to contribute toward revealing and correcting miseducation, as well as renewing respectful relationships with Indigenous communities through our teaching, research and community service.

 

 

9.0  STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

 

Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offences. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offences because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offence are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf

 

As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offences. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com).

 

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

 

In classes that involve the use of a personal response system (PRS), data collected using the PRS will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed. Your PRS login credentials are for your sole use only. Students attempting to use another student’s credentials to submit data through the PRS may be subject to academic misconduct proceedings.

 

Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.

 

10.0      POLICY ON THE USE OF EXAM PROCTORING SOFTWARE

 

When examinations and tests cannot be given in person (e.g., in courses coded as Distance Studies; in the event of a lockdown order), they may be conducted using either a monitoring platform such as Zoom or a remote proctoring service, such as Proctorio. If Zoom is used for exam invigilation, you will be required to keep your camera on for the entire session, hold up your student card for identification purposes, and share your screen with the invigilator if asked to do so at any time during the exam. The exam session using Zoom will not be recorded.*

If a remote proctoring service is used, the service will require you to provide personal information (including some biometric data). The session will be recorded. The instructor will alert you to the use of this software as close as possible to the start of the term, however, in the event that in-person exams are unexpectedly canceled, you may only be given notice of the use of a proctoring service a short time in advance. More information about remote proctoring is available in the Online Proctoring Guidelines. Please ensure you are familiar with any proctoring service’s technical requirements before the exam. Additional guidance is available at the following link: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/onlineproctorguidelines.pdf

 

* Please note that Zoom servers are located outside Canada. If you would prefer to use only your first name or a nickname to login to Zoom, please provide this information to the instructor in advance of the test or examination. See this link for technical requirements: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us  

 

11.0      POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR ILLNESS OR OTHER ABSENCES

 

Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12

 

The full policy for consideration for absences can be accessed at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf

 

If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:

  1. Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
  2. For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;
  • For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.

 

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation. The self-reported absence form must be submitted before the exam/coursework deadline in order to be valid. It may NOT be used for absences longer than 48 hours; coursework/tests/exams/etc., worth more than 30% of the final grade; or exams scheduled in the December or April final-exam periods: http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html

 

Students seeking academic consideration:

  • are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;  
  • are encouraged to make appropriate decisions based on their specific circumstances, recognizing that minor ailments (upset stomach) or upsets (argument with a friend) are not normally an appropriate basis for a self-reported absence;
  • must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hoursafter the end of the period covered by either the self-reported absence or SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence

 

Students seeking accommodation for religious purposes are advised to contact Academic Counselling at least three weeks prior to the religious event and as soon as possible after the start of the term.

 

12.0      Contingency Plan for Return to Lockdown: IN-Person & Blended classes

 

In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence or any other event that necessitates the course delivery moving away from face-to-face interaction, all remaining course content will be delivered entirely online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online, as determined by the course instructor.

 

13.0      STATEMENTS CONCERNING ONLINE ETIQUETTE

 

In courses involving online interactions, the Psychology Department expects students to honour the following rules of etiquette:

  • please “arrive” to class on time
  • please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet)
  • please ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material
  • to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are invited to speak, unless directed otherwise
  • In classes larger than 30 participants please turn off your video camera for the entire class unless you are invited to speak
  • In classes of 30 students or fewer, where video chat procedures are being used, please be prepared to turn your video camera off at the instructor’s request if the internet connection becomes unstable
  • Unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting

 

The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants. To participate please consider the following:

  • If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge you before beginning your comment or question.
  • Please remember to unmute your microphone and turn on your video camera before speaking.
  • Self-identify when speaking.
  • Please remember to mute your mic and turn off your video camera after speaking (unless directed otherwise).

 

General considerations of “netiquette”:

  • Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course.
  • Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are discussing.
  • Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment. “Flaming” is never appropriate.
  • Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Use proper grammar and spelling. Cite the ideas of others appropriately.

 

Note that disruptive behaviour of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct.

 

14.0      OTHER INFORMATION

 

Office of the Registrar: http://registrar.uwo.ca 

 

Student Development Services: www.sdc.uwo.ca

 

Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:

http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html

 

- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct

- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations

- Policy on Attendance

- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines

- Policy for Assignments

- Short Absences

- Extended Absences

- Documentation

- Academic Concerns

- 2021-2022 Calendar References

 

If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf

Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).

 

Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.

 

Policy on the Recording of Synchronous Sessions: Some or all of the remote learning sessions for this course (if scheduled) may be recorded. The data captured during these recordings may include your image, voice recordings, chat logs and personal identifiers (name displayed on the screen). The recordings will be used for educational purposes related to this course, including evaluations. The recordings may be disclosed to other individuals participating in the course for their private or group study purposes. Please contact the instructor if you have any concerns related to session recordings. Participants in this course are not permitted to privately record the sessions, except where recording is an approved accommodation, or the student has the prior written permission of the instructor.

 

15.0      COURSE DELIVERY WITH RESPECT TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC (ADDED 2022-01-03)

Although the intent is for this course to be delivered in-person, the changing COVID-19 landscape may necessitate some or all of the course to be delivered online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience).  The grading scheme will not change.  Any assessments affected will be conducted online as determined by the course instructor.

 

When deemed necessary, tests and examinations in this course will be conducted using a remote proctoring service.  By taking this course, you are consenting to the use of this software and acknowledge that you will be required to provide personal information (including some biometric data) and the session will be recorded.  Completion of this course will require you to have a reliable internet connection and a device that meets the technical requirements for this service.  More information about this remote proctoring service, including technical requirements, is available on Western’s Remote Proctoring website at: https://remoteproctoring.uwo.ca.