DRUGS AND THE ADDICTIVE PROCESS
PHC 6500
WINTER 2006 • SECTION # 20137 • 3 CREDITS
TUESDAYS, 5-8 PM
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 abused drugs manifest their acute and chronic effects.
FACULTY: Eugene P. Schoener, Ph.D.
Professor of Pharmacology, Psychiatry and Community Medicine
Founding Director, Addiction Research Institute
Office:
Phone: (313) 993-1364 or 577-1570; email: eschoen@med.wayne.edu
SCHEDULE
DATE LECTURE
January 10 Introduction to the Course
Structure of the Nervous Systems
January 17 Neural Function: Foundations of Neurophysiology
January 24 Foundations of Neuropharmacology: Basis of Drug Action
January 31 Principles of Drug Action: Pharmacodynamics
February 7 Principles of Drug Action: Pharmacodynamics & Pharmacokinetics
February 14 Principles of Drug Action: Pharmacokinetics
February 21 Psychotherapeutic Agents: Mechanisms and Applications
February 28 Etiology of Addiction: Neurobiological Determinants
March 7 Drugs of Abuse: an Overview
MIDTERM EXAM DUE
March 14 SPRING RECESS
March 21 Alcohol, Sedative-Hypnotics and Inhalants
March 28 Cocaine, Amphetamines and Other Stimulants
April 4 Heroin, Hydromorphone, Methadone and Other Opioids
April 11 Marijuana, Hallucinogens, and Phencyclidine
April 18 Club Drugs, Steroids, Nicotine, and Caffeine
April 25 Special Issues: Drug Testing, Needle Exchange, etc.
FINAL EXAM DUE
REQUIRED TEXT:
• A Primer of Drug Action, 10th Edition, by R.M. Julien, Worth Publishers, N.Y., 2004
RECOMMENDED TEXTS:
• Functional
Neuroscience, O. Steward,
• Essentials of Neural Science and Behavior, by Kandel, Schwartz and Jessell, 2002
• The Biochemical Basis of Neuropharmacology, 8th Edition, by Cooper, Bloom and Roth, 2003
• Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, 9th Edition, by B.G. Katzung, 2004
• Addiction, From Biology to Drug Policy, 2nd Edition, by A. Goldstein, 2001
• Fundamental Neuroscience, 2nd Edition, by Squire, Bloom et al, 2003
COURSE EVALUATION:
Course Grades will be based on the Midterm and Final Examination grades, evaluation of written projects, class presentations and level of participation in class discussion as follows:
• Midterm Examination 25%
• Final Examination 35%
• Projects/Presentations (written and oral) 25%
• Class discussion/participation 15%
Examinations will be comprised of short answer completion 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. The expectation is that your papers will be as comprehensive as necessary to demonstrate an understanding of the data and concepts—but cogent, and concise as possible. Projects will consist of 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. While formal reading assignments will be made only occasionally, students are expected to have read the appropriate chapters in the required text and additional material as necessary before each session. Class participation will be judged on the basis of appropriate questions and comments about subjects under discussion; everyone must contribute to the class discussions.