Topic “Brain imaging”

Neuroimaging falls into two broad categories: - Structural imaging, which deals with the structure of the brain and the diagnosis of gross (large scale) intracranial disease (such as tumor), and injury - Functional imaging, which is used to diagnose metabolic diseases and lesions on a finer scale (such as Alzheimer's disease) and also for neurological and cognitive psychology research and building brain-computer interfaces. Functional imaging enables, for example, the processing of information by centers in the brain to be visualized directly. Such processing causes the involved area of the brain to increase metabolism and "light up" on the scan.

UCLA study shows brain's ability to reorganize

Visually impaired people appear to be fearless, navigating busy sidewalks and crosswalks, safely finding their way using nothing more than a cane as a guide. The reason they can do this, researchers suggest, is that in at least some circumstances, blindness can heighten other senses, helping individuals adapt.

Where religious belief and disbelief meet in the brain

When it comes to religion, believers and nonbelievers appear to think very differently. But at the level of the brain, is believing in God different from believing that the sun is a star or that 4 is an even number?   While religious faith remains one of the most significant features of human life, little is known about its relationship to ordinary belief.

Overview

The NeuroImaging Training Program (NITP) at UCLA was created in September of 2006, under the aegis of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, with funding from the National Institutes of Health. It is premised on the view that the scientific leaders of tomorrow are those who have the ability to create the tools they need to make the discoveries they seek.

Students in the NITP generally will complete a year of graduate training in the Neurosciences, including fundamentals of Neuroanatomy, Systems Neuroscience, Neurophysiology and/or Cognitive Neuroscience. Their second year of graduate training will be an intensive program in the tools of neuroimaging, including acquisition, data processing, analysis and experimental design.

 

To enter the program students must first apply and be admitted into one of the established neuroscience programs at UCLA, principally the:

 

 

As described in more detail in the Curriculum Summary , the NITP adds additional coursework in the first year and requires a second year of imaging-specific classwork. 

Instructor(s): 
Mark Cohen