This course is offered in English.
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<br>1. Course Description:
<br>This course will focus on the recent advances in our understanding of the clinical features and 
<br>pathogenesis of a wide rage of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson's 
<br>disease and parkinsonisms, ataxias, motor neuron diseases, and polyglutamine diseases. Students will 
<br>analyze research reports in which a range of proposed cellular processes that may represent the 
<br>underlying pathogenic mechanisms in these diseases. Topics link to the proposed cellular processes will 
<br>include accumulation of aberrant proteins, protein misfolding, protofibril formation, ubiquitin-
<br>proteosomal pathway, autophagy, ER stress, axonal and dendritic transport, excitotoxic insult, and 
<br>mitochondrial dysfunction. The course will especially emphasis and explore genetic contributions to 
<br>neurodegenerative disease, as identification of genetic mutations for familial neurodegenerative diseases 
<br>has been a major driving force in neurodegenerative research.
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<br>2. Textbooks and References:
<br>The instructor will prepare handouts that covered research articles and outlines for the students, and 
<br>there is no assigned textbook. Nevertheless, the instructor will encourage students to refer the following 
<br>books for additional information. 
<br>(1). Molecular Mechanisms of Neurodegenerative Diseases, by Marie-Francoise Chesselet. 
<br>Publisher: Humana Press (January 15, 2001).
<br>ISBN: 0896038041. 
<br>(2). Neurodegenerative Diseases: Neurobiology, Pathogenesis and Therapeutics, by M. Flint Beal, Anthony 
<br>E. Lang, Albert C. Ludolph.
<br>Publisher: Cambridge University Press (June 2, 2005).
<br>ISBN: 052181166X.
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<br>3. Teaching Methods and Syllabus:
<br>This course will be given in English and the students are assumed to be able to comprehend the lectures. 
<br>The instructor will divide the course into lecture and discussion, which will include the presentation of 
<br>research articles by students. The instructor will discuss the following topics in depth:
<br>(1). Overview of neurodegenerative diseases.
<br>(2). Alzheimer’s disease.
<br>(3). Parkinson’s disease.
<br>(4). Huntington’s disease and other polyglutamine disorders.
<br>(5). Motor neuron diseases.
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<br>4. Evaluation:
<br>Examines will be conducted in both written format and oral presentation.
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