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Graduate Course Proposal Form Submission Detail - GMS6XXX
Tracking Number - 1543
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Approved, Permanent Archive - 2009-06-03
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Detail Information
- Date & Time Submitted: 2009-02-25
- Department: Graduate Affairs
- College: MD
- Budget Account Number: 6108
- Contact Person: Michael J. Barber, D.Phil.
- Phone: 9749908
- Email: mbarber@health.usf.edu
- Prefix: GMS
- Number: 6XXX
- Full Title: Autoimmune Diseases and Cognitive Function
- Credit Hours: 3
- Section Type: C -
Class Lecture (Primarily)
- Is the course title variable?: N
- Is a permit required for registration?: Y
- Are the credit hours variable?: N
- Is this course repeatable?:
- If repeatable, how many times?: 0
- Abbreviated Title (30 characters maximum): Autoimmune Diseases
- Course Online?: -
- Percentage Online:
- Grading Option:
R - Regular
- Prerequisites: None
- Corequisites: None
- Course Description: Basic and clinical aspects of memory enhancement and memory loss are described together with the physiological changes that result from various autoimmune diseases and the critical roles of mitochondria in energy metabolism and oxidative stress.
- Please briefly explain why it is necessary and/or desirable to add this course: This course is a component of the new concentration in Metabolic and Nutritional Medicine that is part of the Medical Sciences Master's Program in the College of Medicine. The course is deigned to develop clinician and health-care professional expertize i
- What is the need or demand for this course? (Indicate if this course is part of a required sequence in the major.) What other programs would this course service? This course is valuable to practicing clinicians and other health-care professionals who are interested in further developing their patient care skills in the fields of autoimmune diseases and memory disorders and the associated diseases. Previous presentations of portions of the course material have attracted an enrollment of over 200 participants and this enrollment is expected to be maintained.
- Has this course been offered as Selected Topics/Experimental Topics course? If yes, how many times? This course has not been previously offered as a selected topic in the College of Medicine. However, portions of the material have been previously offered as part of a CME program for experience clinicians.
- What qualifications for training and/or experience are necessary to teach this course? (List minimum qualifications for the instructor.) All of the faculty involved in this course are experienced M.D. or Ph.D. faculty with extensive experience in teaching medical and graduate students and clinical residents.
- Objectives: The major course objectives include:
•Reviewing the clinical properties of the major autoimmune diseases.
•Describing the ultrastructure and metabolic roles of mitochondria.
•Understanding the molecular triggers of the immune response and their receptors.
•Discussing the various intracellular signaling pathways and their gene products.
•Describing the basic strategies of IV nutritional therapies.
•Discussing clinical approaches to immune imbalance and inflammation.
•Describing how micronutrient insufficiency results in DNA and mitochondrial damage.
•Discussing disorders of mitochondrial function.
•Understanding the role of chelation in treating heavy metal toxicities.
•Understanding the nutritional and environmental regulation of toxic metals.
•Identifying the role that heavy metal toxicity plays in disease.
•Recognizing the role(s) that excitotoxins play on the developing brain.
•Discussing treatment plans to assist patients in maintaining memory function.
•Identifying new treatment modalities for patients with memory loss.
•Discussing the role that excitotoxins play in disease.
•Understanding the role of antioxidants in cellular redox control.
•Recognizing the clinical manifestations of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.
•Reviewing the role of cytokines as organizers of the inflammatory response.
•Describing the cellular and molecular biology of immunity and inflammation.
•Understanding the loss of tolerance, Th1/Th2/Th3/Th4 imbalance and the role of normal gut flora.
•Exploring the role of altered bioenergetics in the diathesis of chronic disease.
•Identifying the counter-regulatory control points of immune imbalances.
- Learning Outcomes: Following the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
•Review the clinical properties of the major autoimmune diseases.
•Describe the ultrastructure and metabolic roles of mitochondria.
•Understand the molecular triggers of the immune response and their receptors.
•Discuss the various intracellular signaling pathways and their gene products.
•Describe the basic strategies of IV nutritional therapies.
•Discuss clinical approaches to immune imbalance and inflammation.
•Describe how micronutrient insufficiency results in DNA and mitochondrial damage.
•Discuss disorders of mitochondrial function.
•Understand the role of chelation in treating heavy metal toxicities.
•Understand the nutritional and environmental regulation of toxic metals.
•Identify the role that heavy metal toxicity plays in disease.
•Recognize the role(s) that excitotoxins play on the developing brain.
•Discuss treatment plans to assist patients in maintaining memory function.
•Identify new treatment modalities for patients with memory loss.
•Discuss the role that excitotoxins play in disease.
•Understand the role of antioxidants in cellular redox control.
•Recognize the clinical manifestations of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.
•Review the role of cytokines as organizers of the inflammatory response.
•Describe the cellular and molecular biology of immunity and inflammation.
•Understand the loss of tolerance, Th1/Th2/Th3/Th4 imbalance and the role of normal gut flora.
•Explore the role of altered bioenergetics in the diathesis of chronic disease.
•Identify the counter-regulatory control points of immune imbalances.
- Major Topics: Major course topics include:
•Identifying the diverse array of autoimmune diseases and their prevalence.
•Discussing the sequence of autoimmune activation events.
•Reviewing selected autoimmune diseases including Grave’s disease, Myasthenia gravis, rheumatoid arthritis and Lupus
•Discussing the etiology of autoimmune diseases.
•Reviewing the influence of estrogen and its metabolites on autoimmune disorders.
•Describing the current treatment modalities of autoimmune diseases.
•Reviewing the major features of memory maintenance and cognitive decline including the role(s) of neurotransmitters.
•Reviewing the causes and incidence of Alzheimer’s disease.
•Discussing age-related memory decline.
•Identifying common memory decline-associated toxic substances including heavy metals, fluoride, solvents and pesticides.
•Discussing the effects of hormonal decline and imbalance on memory and cognition.
•Discussing various factors, including nutrients and medications, that affect memory.
•Identifying common brain nutrients.
•Discussing the concept and special characteristics of excitotoxicity.
•Examining excitotoxic disorders and review the toxicity of monosodium glutamate (MSG).
•Discussing excitotoxicity and brain development.
•Reviewing the impact of excitotoxins on the neuroendocrine system and gross obesity.
•Discussing excitotoxicity and neurodegeneration in the aging brain.
•Examining the role of glutamate receptors outside the central nervous system.
•Discussing the relationship between glutamate receptors and cancer.
•Examining the effects of glutamate antagonists in reducing tumor growth.
•Discussing the properties of metabotrophic receptors and tumor growth.
•Reviewing the incidence of autoimmune disease.
•Discussing infectious causes of autoimmune diseases.
•Discussing the symptoms of chronic mercury poisoning.
•Identifying various diseases related to mercury poisoning.
•Exploring the role of lectins as “triggers” of autoimmune disease.
•Discussing the “linking” of environmental agents and immune disease.
•Reviewing various xenobiotics associated with autoimmune disease including cigarette smoke.
•Exploring toxicogenomics and autoimmunity.
•Developing a comprehensive treatment plan for autoimmunity and autoimmune diseases.
•Comparing and contrasting various laboratory tests to aid in the treatment of autoimmunity.
•Identifying various lifestyle adjustments and changes, including diet modifications.
•Evaluating various dietary supplements for autoimmunity, including antioxidants.
•Discussing the incidence of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM).
•Discussing the process of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and its prevalence.
•Exploring various instruments used to predict and diagnose conversion of MCI to dementia.
•Discussing “brain prints”.
•Discussing a “systems biology” view of energy metabolism.
•Reviewing the composition and function of the mitochondrial energy pathways.
•Discussing the energetic demands of cellular function.
•Discuss the metabolism of mitochondria and the utilization of amino acids.
- Textbooks: Due to the diverse subject material, the course does not feature any required textbooks. Supplemental material for the course will be provided from the current literature to enhance understanding via the course Blackboard site.
Several recommended textbooks that provide additional reference material include:
Arking, R., (Ed), “The Biology of Aging: Observations & Principles”. Oxford University Press, New York, 2006.
Schapira, A.H.V., (Ed), “Mitochondrial Function and Dysfunction”. Academic Press, 2003.
- Course Readings, Online Resources, and Other Purchases:
- Student Expectations/Requirements and Grading Policy:
- Assignments, Exams and Tests:
- Attendance Policy:
- Policy on Make-up Work:
- Program This Course Supports:
- Course Concurrence Information:
- if you have questions about any of these fields, please contact chinescobb@grad.usf.edu or joe@grad.usf.edu.