Description
Objectives
The discipline NeuroModulation will provide insight and understanding of the working principles of the brain and a basic knowledge of most common neurological disorders. An overview of the background, methods and interpretation of the different techniques to measure brain activity and signals. Understand the different neuromodulation techniques and how these are used to study the function of specific brain structures and to influence regions in neurological disorders. The course has as its main objective the introduction to the basic approaches to neuromodulation by neurofeedback and transcranial electric stimulation. The students should learn, understand and apply the basic principles of: 1- Neurofeedback (NF) recording methods 2- Feedback features processing 3- Neurophysiological principles of brain waves modulation 4- Quantitative EEG (qEEG) 5- Training protocols 6- Clinical and non-clinical case studies 7- Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) methods 8- Case Studies
Syllabus
1- NeuroModulation: The need, the market and main applications 2- Introduction to Neurofeedback 3- Feedback feature extraction 4- Feedback modalities 5- Mental strategies 6- Application protocol 7- Control and sham 8- Clinical applications (qEEG) 9- Non-clinical applications 10- Circuits for neural stimulation 11- Neural stimulating electrodes 12- Functional Electrical Stimulators 13- tDCS protocols.
Prerequisites
Without prerequisites to attend the curricular unit
Cross Competence Component
The UC allows the development of soft Skills in several of the groups defined in theRelatório Comissão para as Competências Transversais mainly in the context of the monography developed in this course and worth 30% of the final grade of the course. The highlights are the "Critical and Innovative Thinking (Problem Solving Strategies)" components, namely the "Critical Thinking", "Creativity" and "Problem Solving Strategies" components, Interpersonal Skills (group / team work) of the laboraorty reports), Intrapersonal Skills (autonomy in the realization of the monography that promotes the self-discipline and preservation essential for meeting deadlines and proposing conclusions and recomendations) and finally the Information and Media Literacy component that is enhanced by the bibliographic research work needed for the realization, the work itself and the corresponding report.
Laboratorial Component
The laboratory component consists of three 3-hour laboratory sessions every other week. Neurofeedback sessions practice Transcranial Direct Current sessions pratice
Programming And Computing Component
No Computational or programming skills needed.
Ethical Principles
All members of a group are responsible for the group’s work In any assessment every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used. In an oral assessment, every student shall be alble to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.