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Course module: 201700081
201700081
Psychopharmacology
Course info
Course code201700081
EC7.5
Course goals
After completing this course, the student has:
  • obtained knowledge on the most important classes of psychoactive drugs and their clinical applications
  • gained insight in general pharmacological principles, and the student can apply these insights to the area of psychopharmacology
  • learned to look up and interpret properties of psychoactive medications
  • gained sufficient knowledge to independently use sources of information used in the clinical practice on psychoactive medications
  • learned to formulate a relevant question based on the studied reading and conduct a literature review to answer this question
Relation between assessment and objective
The written exam consists of multiple choice questions through which knowledge is tested on pharmacological principles and working mechanisms of psychoactive drugs and their clinical applications. The assignments in the working groups are 1) looking up details on a particular drug using professional sources, and presenting these and answers to (study) questions in the work group (graded with pass or fail) and 2) a larger literature review assignment completed in groups of about 3 students that is graded on a 0-10 scale. The literature review assignment consists of formulating a question, conducting a literature review to answer this question, and presenting the results in a poster presentation and a written paper.
Content
In neuroscience and psychology the biological approach to behavior and psychiatric disorders is of substantial importance. Over the last decades new classes of psychoactive drugs were developed for the treatment of disorders like depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. On a weekly basis, results of research on psychoactive drugs and psychopathology are reported in newspapers and on the internet. Further developments in neuroscience and fields like genetics hold the promise that progress in the discovery of new medications will become faster and more innovative. This course covers the most important classes of psychoactive substances (sedative-hypnotics, anxiolytics, stimulantia, anti-depressants and antipsychotics). In addition, the recreative use of drugs is discussed, and the principles of tolerance and possible dependence (addiction). Of all substances that are discussed attention is paid to the pharmacological properties, their working mechanisms, and if applicable their clinical application. The course is of interest to anyone who wants to be able to keep track of this dynamic field, who is interested in brain and behavior or who will be working in mental health care and with interdisciplinary treatment of psychological, psychiatric or somatic (e.g. pain medications) problems.
The course will use literature that covers both the scientific backgrounds and the clinical applications.
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Kies de Nederlandse taal