PSY7330 Psychopharmacology
Learners in this course explore the behavioral and therapeutic effects of psychoactive drugs. Course topics include synaptic transmission, behavioral role of specific neuromodulatory systems, pharmacological treatment of mental and neurological disorders, addiction, and the various side effects of psychoactive drugs, and how these may interact with key characteristics such as age or general health. Drug effects on learning, creativity, memory, sleep, perception, and sexual functioning receive special attention. Learners also examine the efficacy of treating patients with a combination of psychotherapy and psychotropic medications for a number of diagnosed mental disorders including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, obsessive compulsive behavior, schizophrenia, and childhood disorders.