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 |
|
|
|
|
