5 credits

Students in this course survey basic neuropharmacology, the effects of various psychotropic drugs, and the actions of drugs used to treat mental disorders. Basic principles of neuropharmacology, distribution and elimination of drugs, drug-receptor interactions and dose-response relationships, structure of neurons, neurophysiological mechanisms involved in synaptic activity, and the distribution of specific neurotransmitter systems are covered. Students also learn the actions of specific drugs, their effects on behavior, and their uses in biological psychiatry. This course is provided in-residence, which means that students divide their time between online activities and activities completed in-residence, with the majority of the instruction occurring face-to-face during the in-residence class meetings.