> I agree wholeheartedly with Jeff. The Brain & Mind series are fabulous.
> I especially recommend "Clive Waring: Life without memory" for discussing
> hippocampal function. If students don't get turned on by that they're
> brain dead.
>
Neurological deficits are inherently fascinating. Any prof who spends the
bulk of that unit discuss action potentials should be stripped of his/her
chalk and be banished from the academic quadrangle! I discuss phantom limb
pain, aphasias, disconnection syndromes (esp. alexia without agraphia and
"pure word deafness"), "blindsight," hemithesias, hemiplegias, etc.
Students are enthralled. For the neurochemistry part I focus on drug
actions albeit at a low level in an intro course. They'd much rather hear
about "what the drug my cousin is on" is doing to their brain than to hear
about the details of synaptic transmission. The biopsych chapter is
admittedly the toughest in the book but should also be the most fascinating.
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Edward I. Pollak, Ph.D., Department of Psychology,
West Chester Univ. of PA, West Chester, PA 19383
Office: 610-436-3151; Home: 610-363-1939; Fax: 610-436-2846;
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Husband, father, grandfather, biopsychologist, herpetoculturist and
bluegrass fiddler
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Shameless self promotion: The Mill Creek Bluegrass Band performs every
Tuesday night at Dugal's Inn, Mortonville, PA. Call 610- 486-0953 for
directions.
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