DRUGS AND THE ADDICTIVE PROCESS

PHC 6500

WINTER 2000 • SECTION # 40570 • 3 CREDITS

TUESDAYS, 5-8 P.M.

Jefferson Avenue Research Clinic, 2761 East Jefferson Avenue

DRUGS AND THE ADDICTIVE PROCESS • PHC 6500, is an essential graduate course for future health and human service providers, educators, and researchers who anticipate working with alcohol and other drug issues in their profession. The course includes a review of nervous system structure and function, basic principles of drug action, effects of therapeutic and abused drugs on the brain and human behavior, how chemical dependency develops, and how acute and chronic effects of abused drugs manifest themselves. FACULTY: Eugene P. Schoener, Ph.D.
Professor of Pharmacology, Psychiatry, and Community Medicine
Director, Addiction Research Institute
Offices: 2761 East Jefferson Ave., 9D UHC, 6th Floor Scott Hall
Phone: 993-1364, 577-1388, 577-1570, email: eschoen@med.wayne.edu

SCHEDULE


 
DATE
LECTURE
January 10 Introduction to the Course; Structure and Function of the Nervous System
January 17 Foundations of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology
January 24 Basic Principles of Drug Action: Pharmacodynamics
January 31 Basic Principles of Drug Action: Pharmacodynamics & Pharmacokinetics
February 7 Basic Principles of Drug Action: Pharmacokinetics
February 14 Psychotherapeutic Agents: Mechanisms and Applications
February 21 Models of Addiction: Biopsychosocial etiology and neurobiological basis
February 28 Drugs of Abuse: an Overview
March 7 MIDTERM EXAM
March 14 SPRING RECESS
March 21 Alcohol, Sedative-Hypnotics and Inhalants
March 28 Cocaine, Amphetamines and Other Stimulants
April 6 Heroin, Hydromorphone, Methadone and Other Opioids
April 13 Hallucinogens, Phencyclidine, and Marijuana
April 20 Steroids, Nicotine, and Caffeine
April 27 Special Issues: Drug Testing, Needle Exchange

FINAL EXAM

 

REQUIRED TEXT:

• A Primer of Drug Action, 8th Edition, by R.M. Julien, W.H. Freeman & Co., N.Y., 1998. OTHER RECOMMENDED TEXTS: • Essentials of Neural Science and Behavior, Kandel, Schwartz and Jessell

• Essential Psychopharmacology, Stahl

• The Biochemical Basis of Neuropharmacology, 7th Edition, by Cooper, Bloom and Roth

• Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, 7th Edition, by B.G. Katzung

• A Handbook on Drug and Alcohol Abuse: The Biomedical Aspects, 3rd

Edition, by Winger, Hoffman & Woods

 COURSE EVALUATION:

Course Grades will be based on the Midterm and Final Examinations, written projects, and active participation in class discussion as follows

• Midterm Examination 25%

• Final Examination 40%

• Projects 25%

• Participation 10%

 Examinations will be comprised of short answer, fill-in, and brief essay type questions. They will be written as take-home exams and due on the date indicated; the Final exam will be cumulative. Projects will consist of individual and small group efforts leading to written reports that will be presented orally in class. Students with advanced standing (biomedical training) will be required to prepare a journal article (original research) for class presentation and discussion.