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Disease Neurobiology

Objectives

In this course we intend to deepen the study of cellular and molecular degenerative processes involved in the pathology of various nervous system diseases. In parallel, methods of diagnosis will be approached, with particular emphasis on the concept of biomarker, as well as conventional therapies and drug development (''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''from bench to marketplace'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''').

It is expected that at the end of this course the students will have achieved the following general competences: i) to expose the mechanisms involved in the etiology and pathology of several nervous system diseases; iv) to identify and understand strategies and therapeutic targets for nervous system diseases; v) acquisition of research skills of recent literature on subjects taught, in order to exposure and critically discuss scientific works in the field.

General characterization

Code

12106

Credits

3.0

Responsible teacher

Margarida Casal Ribeiro Castro Caldas Braga

Hours

Weekly - 2

Total - 30

Teaching language

Português

Prerequisites

Neurobiology previous frequency (offered to MGMB, 1st semester) - immediate admission.

Previous frequency of another discipline of Neurobiology / Cellular Neurobiology / Introduction to Neurobiology- contact the  Responsible Professor; admission subject to approval by the Professor

Only for Master students

Bibliography

Neuroscience. D Purves et al. 4th Ed.Sinauer Associates Inc Publishers, Sunderland, Massachusetts USA

Basic Neurochemistry. Molecular, cellular and medical aspects. Siegel et al. 6th Ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Principles of Neural Science, Kandel ER, Schwartz JH, Jessel TM 4th Ed, McGraw-Hill, USA, 2000

Molecular Cell Biology. Lodish et al. 7th Ed. WH Freeman & Company, NY, 2012

Molecular Biology of the Cell, Alberts et al, 5th Ed. Garland Science, NY, 2007

 Scientific papers

Teaching method

Lectures, seminars, debates, research, presentations, and extended discussion.

Evaluation method

RULES AND ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY
A) Course Attendance:
To obtain course attendance, students must attend at least 2/3 of the theoretical-practical (TP) classes. Attendance is recorded on a sign-in sheet.
Absences are recorded 10 minutes after the class starts, but students may still choose to attend.
Medical certificates or other valid justifications for absences will only be accepted if submitted in class during the week immediately following the missed session.
Working students and exceptional cases who do not attend TP classes must complete an alternative assessment (to be arranged with the instructor) to obtain course attendance.
Students who fail to meet the attendance requirement will not receive a valid grade for any assessment component.

B) Course Assessment
B.1) Assessment Rules
The final grade (scale 0–20 points) results from the sum of three assessment components:

i) Theoretical-Practical Component (65% = 13 points)
Students will complete a written scientific project on a neurodegenerative disease of their choice, focusing on the discovery of a therapeutic target or biomarker:

Disease study models: Cellular or animal models; advantages and disadvantages. Which model is the most appropriate (or future-oriented) for studying this disease?
Scientific project involving applied research on the selected disease. The project must include disease models and propose a relevant research topic. It should outline an 18-month research plan, with 3–4 tasks and a budget of €60,000.
Students must identify a collaborator (national or international) to integrate into their proposal and justify their choice.
The written document must follow the provided guidelines and be uploaded to Moodle by 11:59 PM on 09/05/2025.

Submissions before the deadline are accepted.
Late submissions within two working days will be penalized by 50%.
Submissions beyond this period will not be accepted.
ii) Project Evaluation (20+5% = 4+1 points)
Oral group presentation of the scientific project, focusing on chosen models (with pros and cons) and proposed strategies. Maximum duration: 10 minutes, format chosen by the group. All group members must participate.

Debate with all students at the end of each presentation—students will be evaluated on their ability to answer questions from "reviewers."

Peer review process:

Each group will receive and independently evaluate the projects of their peers.
The best project, based on justified reasons, receives a 1-point bonus; the second-best receives 0.5 points.
Individual evaluations must be justified and signed.
The final score for this component (up to 5 points) includes the presentation, ability to answer questions, and engagement in critiquing other projects.

Written project guidelines will be available at the start of the semester.

Projects must be done in groups of 3–4 students and uploaded to Moodle 24 hours before the presentation. They will then be accessible to all students.

iii) Individual Assessment (10% = 2 points)
A short individual assessment on a topic related to the course, held during the TP class on 03/04/2025.
Duration: 20 minutes.
No additional tests or final exams will be provided.
Missed Assessment Dates
Written projects must be submitted by 09/05/2025.

Presentations and discussions will take place on 22/05/2025.

No alternative dates or resits for any assessment components.

All course-related information is available on CLIP (Neurobiology of Disease).

Specific grading criteria for assessment components will be provided in the first class and made available on CLIP and Moodle.

B.2) Passing Conditions
To pass the course, students must:
 Meet the attendance requirement.
 Score at least 50% on the theoretical-practical written project.
Obtain a final grade of at least 9.5/20 (sum of all components).

Subject matter

1. Neurodegenerative diseases: general principles and study models. Definition of therapeutic targets in neurodegenerative diseases.

2. Preclinical studies, therapeutic intervention, neuroprotection, intervention in the basic mechanisms of the disease and symptomatic therapy. Where are we and where can we act?

3. Choosing the best model for each disease and for each study.

4. Etiology and neuropathology of Parkinson''s disease.

5. Aetiology and neuropathology of Etiologia e neuropatologia da doença Alzheimer''s disease

6. Aetiology and neuropathology of  Niemann Pick Type C disease

7. Aetiology and neuropathology of  Multiple Sclerosis

8. Etiology and neuropathology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

9. Physical exercise as a neuroprotective strategy

In TP classes the best models to study the different diseases will be addressed. There will also be dynamic TP classes in which students will have to build a mini-scientific project throughout the classes that focuses on a neurological disease. The construction of the mini-project will be phased in and monitored. Discussion and constructive criticism between groups will always be encouraged.