PSY465 DRUGS AND BEHAVIOR

Intersession, 2007

 

 

Meeting time/location:         MTWTh; 9:30-1:00pm, Room 606, Ginger Hall

Instructor:                            Ilsun M. White, PhD

Office:                                  Ginger Hall, Room 601K (Phone: 783-2991 or 783-2407)

                                             E-mail: i.white@morehead-st.edu

 

Office Hours:                       MW 1:00-2:00p.m., or by appointment

Required Text:                      Julien, Robert M, A Primer of Drug Action, 10th Ed., NY:

                                             Worth Publishers, 2003.

 

Course Description: This course will provide a broad background of the field of psychopharmacology. This course focuses primarily on effects of drugs on the brain and behavior, and it is divided into four units. The first unit will cover basic fundamentals of drug action, including pharmacokinetics and neural transmission. The second unit will focus on the neural mechanisms of classes of drugs that suppress and stimulate the central nervous system (CNS depressants and stimulants). The third unit will focus on drug and psychological disorders. There will be an exam after each unit. The fourth unit will focus on narcotics and hallucinogens. Course material will be based on assigned readings from the text, in-class lectures, and additional readings from outside sources. Outside readings will be reserved in the Psychology office.       Prerequisite: PSY154. 

  

Grading: Grades will be based on the results of three exams and quizzes.

          300 points – Exams (100 points each: Exam I, II, and Final Exam)  

          20 points – Quizzes (in class; 5 points each) and Lab

          10 points – Assignments, Presentations, and Discussion (attendance required) 

          330 points – TOTAL  

Scale for Final Grades:   A  for 90% or above                     D  for between 60% and 69%

                                       B  for between 80% and 89%       E   for below 60%

                                       C for between 70% and 79%           

 

The MSU online (http://online.morehead-st.edu/) ‘BLACKBOARD’ will be used to provide course-related information throughout the semester, including the grade book, announcements, course syllabus, lecture outlines, and assignments. Additional readings and lecture notes (brief version of power point slides) will be reserved in Psychology office. To access BLACKBOARD, you will need 2 items: user name [m + your MSU student ID] and password (MSU e-mail password  or     your SS # (last 4 digits) + birth year]

 

Exams will be based on class material and reading assignments. The exams will be a mixture of multiple-choice, identification, diagram, short answers, and essay questions. Review sessions will be held in the evening or early in the morning (outside the class)—time and place will be announced in the class. Additional review sessions will be given if necessary. Missed exams receive ‘zero’ points.   Exams (I, II, and Final) will not be cumulative. 

 

Quizzes will be given in class. Missed quizzes receive ‘zero’ points. There will be no make-up for the quizzes. In the event of an illness, the make-up quiz will be administered only if a written medical excuse is provided within 24 hours of the ‘missed’ quiz. 

 

Assignments and Presentations will include material (e.g., empirical research papers) that complements the lecture. The content of assignments, presentations, and discussions will be included in the exam. 

Make-Up Exams: There will be a single make-up exam given at the end of the semester (December 8, Thursday). The make-up exam must be arranged with the instructor in advance. In the event of an illness, the make-up exam will be administered only if a written medical excuse is provided within 24 hours of the ‘missed’ exam. 

  

Attendance:   Attendance at lecture is required. 

  

Academic Dishonesty: University guidelines will be enforced for any forms of academic dishonesty.

 

 

 

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE

  

May 14           Introduction to Course Contents and Mechanics         

 

May 14-17     PHARMACOKINETICS AND NEURAL TRANSMISSION

                       Pharmacokinetics                                                                       Chap. 1

                       Pharmacodynamics                                                                    Chap. 2

                       Neuron and Synaptic Transmission                                          Chap. 3

 

          EXAM   I (100 points)                   May 17, Thursday, Room 606

 

May 18         Psychopharmacology Laboratory                                              GH603-605

 

                    **Due to Memorial Holiday, this class will meet on Friday, May 18

 

May 21-24   CNS SUPPRESSANTS AND PSYCHOSTIMULANTS

                      CNS depressants                                                                        Chap. 4-6

                      CNS stimulants                                                                          Chap. 7-8

 

          EXAM   II (100 points)                   May 24, Thursday, Room 606

 

May 28-31    THERAPEUTIC DRUGS

                       Psychotherapeutics                                                                   Chap. 9-13

                       Narcotics and Analgesics (selected topics)                               Chap. 14-15

 

             ** MEMORIAL DAY (no class): May 28

 

           FINAL EXAM (100 points)          May 31, Thursday, Room 606

 

 

**Note: The syllabus and the course schedule are subject to change.