The course aims to introduce students to human sensory perception with a focus on clinical utility and research. The neurological and evolutionary principles underlying vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and additional methods of perception will be covered.

The course will introduce the historical and evolutionary context for our senses, so as to provide an understanding for why humans operate and behave the way we do. Beyond the traditional five senses of vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch, we will discuss several other sensory modalities available to humans, including the vestibular system. The neurological principles guiding the integration of these senses will be outlined, with special reference to subconscious and conscious decision-making. These systems will then be tested through a series of practical experiments, giving students a chance to reflect on blind-spots in human perception and how to implement these in a scientific and clinical setting. Finally, common sensory pathologies will be discussed.