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Introduction and Objectives

Schedule of Lectures & Exams

 

 

 




 
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Schedule

Spring 2006

Week
Date
Title
Content
Instructor
Reading *
Notes

1

 

 

Jan 17

Primer on drugs of abuse

Epidemiology of Drug Abuse

Definition of drug class, historical basis, classification;

Patterns of substance abuse in humans, especially alcohol

Brown

 

Jones-Webb

 

 

2

Jan 24

drug disposition

Intro to pharmacodynamics and pharmaco-kinetic concepts relevant to abused drugs

Brown

 

 

3

Jan 31

Basic neurochemistry

 

Overview of cell biology of neuron and neuronal targets of drugs of abuse; m RNA (adaptive changes); neurogenetics (risk for drug abuse)

Seybold

 

 

4

Feb 7

Reward circuits Animal models

Neuroanatomy of areas contributing to abuse behavior; circuitry; Animal models of

rewarding effects of drugs, phases of drug abuse, tolerance, dependence, discrimination

Seybold/Thomas

 

Distribute paper for discussion on 2/14

5

Feb 14

Major theories in reward and addiction Discussion of literature

Commonalities among drug abuse and natural reinforcers. Theoretical models for the transition from natural reinforcement to addiction

Redish

Review article

 

6

Feb 21

Midterm

 

Midterm exam

 

 

Term paper topic apprv'd by 2/24

7

 

 

Feb 28

 

 

 

Stimulants

 

 

 

Cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, ephedrine, cathinon (Khat)

mechanism of action; anatomical location of receptors; animal studies

Wilcox

Thomas

 

 

 

Distribute papers for discussion on 3/7

8

Mar 7

Stimulants, cont.

 

Discussion of lit. on stimulants

Cellular and molecular events underlying phenomena of stimulant abuse

Mermelstein

 

 

2 papers

Wilcox

Thomas

Mermelstein

 

Week
Date
Title
Content
Instructor
Reading *
Notes

9

 

Mar 21

Opiates

Opioid receptor molecular biology, pharmacology; signal transduction; excitatory amino acid model of tolerance therapeutic approaches for dependence

Wilcox/Fairbanks

 

Distribute papers for discussion on 3/28

10

Mar 28

 

Cannabinoids

 

Discussion of lit on opioids

Cannabinoid abuse and medical uses of marihuana

Simone (1 hr)

 

 

2 papers

Wilcox

Fairbanks

Simone

11

Apr 4

Depressants

 

 

Nicotine

Alcohol, solvents (inhalants), barbiturates, GHB; mechanism of action

 

Mechanism of action; animal and human studies; therapeutic approaches

Thayer (1 hr)

 

 

Hatsukami (1 hr)

 

 

 

 

 

12

Apr 11

Psychomimetics, hallucinogens

Mechanism of action; anatomical location of receptors; animal and human studies; therapeutic approaches

Wessendorf

Chapters 9,16

Distribute papers for 4/18 discussion

13

Apr 18

Lit discussion

2 papers

2 papers

 

 

Apr 21

Symposium

1-4 p.m.

 

Neurobiology of Drug Abuse

Antonello Bonci, Mark Wightman

Students invited to lunch with speakers and reception following symposium

 

14

Apr 25

Symposium disc.

 

Presentation of research papers

 

 

 

All faculty

 

 

 

 

 

Term Papers DUE 4/18

 

15

May 2

Presentation of research papers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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 Last modified on October 31, 2005