Week 1

Intro to the Nervous System & Functional Neuroanatomy of Neurodegeneration: We will discuss the organization of the nervous system, covering the cell biology of neurons and particular subtypes as well as structural neuroanatomy of the brain. Students will be able to identify specific regions of the brain, connectivity between regions, and their general function. We will also introduce some of the most common neurodegenerative disorders, discussing the key systems and regions of the brain that contribute to common symptoms and presentations.

Week 2

Traditional Pathology & Protein Accumulation: Most neurodegenerative diseases are associated with abnormal protein accumulation, resulting in toxicity and cell death. Here we will cover some of the proteins most commonly involved, how they contribute to disease progression, and how they present in patients. We will walk through pathological samples of various diseases to see disease severity and progression in the brain.

Week 3

Cellular Dysfunction & Other Hallmarks of Disease: Neurodegeneration is also closely linked to disrupted cellular pathways and cell homeostasis. This module will present some of the dysregulated or altered functional pathways of the cell, such as energy metabolism, protein clearance, gene expression and inflammation, and how they can further contribute to disease progression.

Week 4

Genetics and Other Risk Factors: Studies have identified particular genetic mutations and risk factors implicated in various neurodegenerative diseases. Here we will discuss examples of specific genes that contribute to diseases. We will also discuss how certain risk factors (such as diet, exercise, sleep, and more) can potentially contribute to disease risk. We will be bridging this with our previous knowledge on disrupted cellular pathways to understand their relevant role in disease progression.

Week 5

Current Treatments: Many neurodegenerative disorders do not have a cure, but rather mediate or slow symptom presentation or disease progression. We will cover some of the traditional subclasses of common treatment options for patients based on their diagnosis, as well as the process for developing and investigating therapeutic options to understand drug development and validation. We will also discuss some more recent alternative and nonpharmacological therapies that have been identified in recent literature and how they may influence how we approach or treat disease.

Week 6

Final Presentations: Students will present on a subtopic of their choice and field questions from their peers. Topics can range from a particular case study, argument for or against a particular therapeutic method, or recent findings about interesting or unusual presentations of disease (just to name a few ideas!). Feedback will allow them to revise their presentation or produce a brief written paper or blog.