This course satisfies the blueprint requirements for sections II and V of the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA) and provides practitioners of neurofeedback a basic understanding of the fundamentals of neuroscience with a focus on neuropharmacology, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. The material covered by this course includes: basic neuroanatomy, principles of drug-receptor interactions; receptor intracellular signal transduction; basic neurotransmitter systems; and the basis of the excitable membrane and signal propagation.
Course participants will have the opportunity for ongoing discussions on Neurocloud Facebook, a social neuroscience community for discussing emerging ideas at the intersection of clinical neurofeedback and brain machine interface technology. In addition, Neurocloud serves as a venue for threaded neuroethics discussions that address key ethical issues facing the field of neurofeedback. Overall it is our goal to engage, inspire, and stimulate thinking in this new and exciting field. (NOTE:This course will take minimally 10 hours to complete)

• You will need to register for the following.
• Coursestreet student guide/registration info
• Brain Science International Facebook Please "Like" Brain Science International Facebook to participate in threaded neuroethics discussions and receive the latest neuroscience and neurofeedback breakthroughs.

This short course is divided into 4 segments that provide a basic introduction to the neuroscience principles underlying neurofeedback. Users must be logged in to view links and content.

• Step 1: Read the syllabus
• Step 2: Read the Assignments
• Step 3: Read and watch the lecture material from each Segment and complete the assignments and discussion postings
• Step 4: Study the flashcards and take the exam

(Minimal time to complete 1.5 hours)

Given the wide usage of psychiatric medication for the treatment of attention, mood and sleep disorders it is important for practitioners of neurofeedback to understand drug mechanism of action and brain circuits that are activated by various classes of drugs. Students will learn the basic principles of neuropharmacology including drug mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics and metabolism.

An understanding of EEG and neurofeedback technology requires a basic understanding of how neurons maintain electrical gradients and transmit signals with millisecond temporal precision. Students will learn the basic principles of how neurons communicate using specialized proteins that establish ionic gradients and respond to electrical signals and synaptic transmission.

Neurons are capable of processing and transmitting huge amounts of information by modulating their electrical properties in a dynamic manner that relies on intracellular signaling cascades. Students will learn how neurotransmitters and drugs act at the receptor level leading to signaling cascades that influence specific circuits that control a variety of behaviors such as mood, anxiety, attention, memory and sleep.

The brain is organized in highly organized circuits that use a variety of neurotransmitters to carry information related to behavior, cognition and mood. Students will learn how brain circuits use specific neurotransmitters to modulate neuronal excitability and the information processing underlying cognition, emotion and memory.

As neuroscience technology advances providing new insights into the workings of the brain and powerful neurofeedback applications for direct modulation of brain states it is important to consider the ethical ramifications.

Students will learn the latest advancements in the field of neuroscience, including neuroimaging and deep brain stimulation. Students will engage in threaded discussions on emerging ethical considerations that arise as neuroscience develops more sophisticated methods to directly modulate and measure neuronal function.Neuroethics has been described as "the examination of what is right and wrong, good and bad about the treatment of, perfection of, and welcome invasion or worrisome manipulation of the human brain.--William Safire

Just as we have anti-depressants today to elevate mood, tomorrow we can expect a kind of Botox for the brain to smooth out wrinkled temperaments, to turn shy people into extroverts, or to bestow a sense of humor on a born grouch. But what price will human nature pay for these nonhuman artifices?" --William Safire

Instructor: Don Cooper, Ph.D. Associate Professor
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
Co-Director of the Neuroscience Undergraduate Program
University of Colorado, Boulder
Institute for Behavioral Genetics
Email: Don.Cooper@Live.com