Behavioral Neuroscience

Behavioral neuroscience, a key subdiscipline within neurobiology, investigates the physiological, genetic, and developmental mechanisms of behavior in humans and other animals. It focuses on how the brain and the broader nervous system function to produce and control fundamental processes such as learning, memory, motivation, emotion, and perception. By examining the neural circuits and molecular events that underlie these actions, this field seeks to explain the biological basis for both normal and abnormal behaviors, effectively bridging the gap between the brain's activity and an organism's observable actions.

1. Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience
   1. Definition and Scope
      1. What is Behavioral Neuroscience
      2. Relationship to Other Disciplines
      3. Goals and Applications
   2. Historical Development
      1. Philosophical Foundations
         1. Mind-Body Problem
         2. Dualism vs Monism
         3. Materialism and Reductionism
      2. Early Scientific Approaches
         1. Phrenology and Localization
         2. Clinical Observations
         3. Experimental Psychology Emergence
      3. Key Historical Figures
         1. René Descartes
         2. Franz Joseph Gall
         3. Paul Broca
         4. Carl Wernicke
         5. Santiago Ramón y Cajal
         6. Charles Sherrington
         7. Donald Hebb
      4. Modern Era Development
         1. Technological Advances
         2. Molecular Revolution
         3. Computational Approaches
   3. Core Principles
      1. Levels of Analysis
         1. Molecular Level
         2. Cellular Level
         3. Systems Level
         4. Behavioral Level
         5. Cognitive Level
      2. Localization of Function
         1. Historical Evidence
         2. Modern Understanding
         3. Distributed Processing
      3. Neural Plasticity
         1. Developmental Plasticity
         2. Activity-Dependent Plasticity
         3. Injury-Induced Plasticity
      4. Evolution and Behavior
         1. Comparative Approach
         2. Adaptive Significance
         3. Phylogenetic Constraints
   4. Research Ethics
      1. Human Research Ethics
         1. Informed Consent
         2. Risk-Benefit Analysis
         3. Vulnerable Populations
         4. Institutional Review Boards
      2. Animal Research Ethics
         1. Three Rs Principle
         2. Justification for Animal Use
         3. Welfare Standards
         4. Institutional Animal Care Committees
      3. Emerging Ethical Issues
         1. Genetic Engineering
         2. Brain Enhancement
         3. Privacy and Brain Data