Overview

This unit exposes students to the applications of neuroimaging techniques in Cognitive Neuroscience. Students will explore how methods like MRI, EEG, PET, and MEG index brain function in both experimental and clinical settings. The unit aims to illustrate how neuroimaging aids in clinical diagnosis, treatment planning, and experimental research, enhancing our understanding of brain functions in health and disease.

Requisites

Prerequisites
NEU10002 Neuroscience
PSY10009 Methods of Cognitive Neuroscience

Rules

NEU10002 Neuroscience v1

AND

PSY10009 Methods of Cognitive Neuroscience v1

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
02-March-2026
31-May-2026
Last self-enrolment date
15-March-2026
Census date
31-March-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
21-April-2026
Results released date
07-July-2026
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
01-March-2027
30-May-2027
Last self-enrolment date
14-March-2027
Census date
30-March-2027
Last withdraw without fail date
20-April-2027
Results released date
06-July-2027

Unit learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  1. Explain how neuroimaging methods are used in clinical contexts, understanding their role in diagnosing, monitoring, and planning treatments for neurological disorders
  2. Interpret and critically analyse neuroimaging data, linking brain activity patterns to cognitive functions and behaviour
  3. Apply understanding of ethical considerations to the use of neuroimaging in research and clinical practice
  4. Perform basic signal processing of multi-dimensional datasets
  5. Implement preprocessing and analysis algorithms for neuroimaging data

Teaching methods

All applicable locations

Activity Type Activity Total Hours Number of Weeks Hours Per Week Venue Type and Activity Detail
Online Lecture 12 12 weeks 1 Asynchronous
On-campus Lab 12 6 weeks 2  
On-campus Class 12 12 weeks 1 Non-lab tutorials
Specified Activities Various 36 12 weeks 3 Reading and workbook activities
Unspecified Activities Independent Learning 78 12 weeks 6.5 Independent study, Assignment preparation, Revision
Total Hours: 150 Total Hours (per week): 13.5  

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULOs
Written Assignment Individual  35% 1,3
Laboratory Practicals Individual  35% 2,4,5
Final-Semester Test Individual  30% 1,2

Hurdle

Nil

Content

  • Applications of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Electroencephalography (EEG), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and Magnetoencephalography (MEG) as measures of cognitive function
  • Applications of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Electroencephalography (EEG), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and Magnetoencephalography (MEG) to clinical testing, particularly epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, tumours, and brain damage
  • Training in modern open-source tools for analysing neural data (Python, R)

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.