Learning objectives

A student who has met the objectives of the course will be able to:

a. Define typical age-related changes in human behaviour, e.g. cognitive and emotional functions, personality and IQ, across the lifespan.
b. Define typical age-related changes in the human brain across the lifespan
c. Have insight into how intrinsic factors, such as genes and hormones, may influence on brain and behaviour across the lifespan
d. Have insight into how extrinsic factors, such as physical activity, diet and stress, may influence on brain and behaviour across the lifespan.
e. Have insights into how common neurological and psychiatric disorders affect age-related changes in brain and behaviour.
f. Identify some of the challenges and pitfalls when performing and analyzing multimodal cohort studies across the life span

Content

Insight into how the human brain and behaviour changes across the life span is pivotal in understanding behavioural and neurobiological pathology. Lectures are given by experts in the field and build on the latest research findings from neuroimaging, electrophysiological and behavioural studies. The course highlights specific intrinsic, e.g. genes and hormones, and extrinsic factors, e.g. nutrition and physical activity, which influence brain and behavioural development and aging. Deviations from the typical pattern of brain and behavioural trajectories are illustrated by examples of common neurological and psychiatric disorders. We will address fundamental methodological and neuroscientific questions regarding life-span neuroscience. What is a “good” or “bad” life-span trajectory in terms of brain function and structure? How does a given brain function unfold over long time-window and how can these behavioral trajectories be linked to “brain dynamics” in terms of structural and functional changes?

Participants

PhD students (medicine, neuroscience, psychology, engineering, humanities) interested in brain and behavioural changes across the life span. No specific qualifications required.

Language

English

Form

Lectures in the morning and afternoon, separated by break out sessions.

Course directors

Kathrine Skak Madsen, Senior researcher, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (MR-department, Hvidovre Hospital)
William F.C. Baaré, Senior Researcher, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.(MR-department, Hvidovre Hospital)
Ellen Garde, Senior Researcher, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (MR-department, Hvidovre Hospital, and University of Copenhagen)
Hartwig R. Siebner, Professor, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (MR-department, Hvidovre Hospital, and University of Copenhagen)

Teachers

The following faculty has already confirmed their participation:
William Baaré, Kathrine Skak Madsen, Ellen Garde, Hartwig Siebner, Erik Lykke Mortensen, Bente Pakkenberg, Åse Marie Hansen, Naja Hulvej Rod, Allan Linneberg, Birgitte Fagerlund, Tomas Paus

ECTS credits

3,70

Course fee

DKK 4.560

Registration

https://phdcourses.ku.dk/DetailKursus.aspx?id=99093&showformular=1&sitepath=SUND