Laboratory/Demonstration Resources
The intent of a laboratory section is to reinforce and extend the concepts covered in lecture. A typical laboratory section might cover the following topics:- Neuroanatomy: Dissection of a sheep brain
- Neurophysiology: Microcomputer demonstration of basic cable properties and ion contribution to action potential
- Neuropharmacology: Adrenergic stimulation of brown adipose tissue thermogenesis
- Sensory systems: Microcomputer simulation of visual receptive fields
- Feeding: Stereotaxic surgery and demonstration of PVN lesion-induced obesity in rats
- Drinking: Carbachol-induced drinking in the septal region of rat brain
The Instructor's Manual provides coverage of laboratory/demonstration exercises for each chapter. Each exercise includes background citations, a listing of the materials required to carry out the exercise, procedures for the exercise, and where appropriate, alternate exercises. In addition, the instructor may wish to consider adapting demonstrations from a variety of resource manuals including:
- Cooley and Vanderwoolf (1990). This manual provides a pictorial guide to the dissection of the sheep brain.
- Wellman (1994). A laboratory manual written to accompany Carlson's Physiology of Behavior. Topics covered include animal care, rodent anesthesia, stereotaxic surgery, and histology. Also covered are exercises in pharmacology and feeding. The table of contents for this manual is available on the Carlson Web Site.
- Bures, Buresova, and Huston (1983). An advanced laboratory manual covering histological techniques, behavioral assessment (feeding, locomotion, aggression), learning and memory, ablation and stimulation of brain, and electrophysiology.
A number of physiological psychology laboratory manuals are out of print but are important resources that may be found in the campus library or in the personal library of a colleague. These include:
- Hart (1976)
- Singh and Avery (1975)
- Skinner (1971)
- Webster (1975)