LFU:online

The purpose of this seminar is to acquire competence in current understanding of conditioning, of the role of the reward system, and of the neural substrates of decision making in health and in pathological conditions. Participants should acquire elements of the conceptual foundations of psychotherapy approaches and the capacity to critically appraise research literature in this field, especially in the field of functional neuroimaging.

Reward influences daily functioning through its role in the perception of motivational cues and the making of choices. Neuroscientific research has also provided evidence for the involvement of the reward system in the effect of addictive drugs, addictive behaviour, anhedonia, and psychosis. Functional neuroimaging has been pivotal in translating findings from animal research into the context of human brain function, thus contributing to our understanding of how the human brain processes reward and motivation and to the identification of neural substrates of specific mental disorders.

Presentation and discussion of research articles. Prerequisite to attend this course is proficiency in the English language (lerning material in English).

Regular written and/or oral contributions of participants.

Will be announced at the beginning of the seminar.