PY7146 - The Neuroscience of Addiction (2017/18)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2017/18 | ||||||||||||
| Module title | The Neuroscience of Addiction | ||||||||||||
| Module level | Masters (07) | ||||||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 20 | ||||||||||||
| School | School of Social Sciences | ||||||||||||
| Total study hours | 200 | ||||||||||||
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| Assessment components |
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| Running in 2017/18 |
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Module summary
This module focuses on the neuroscientific explanations for addiction and the action of drugs in the nervous system.
Module aims
- To examine the action(s) of substances in the brain
- To examine and evaluate the use of animal experiments in addiction studies
- To examine neural mechanisms that are involved in the addiction process
- To investigate the contribution of genetics to addiction
Syllabus
Basic pharmacology; Specific pharmacology (e.g. alcohol, cocaine, opiates etc); Genetic principles of addiction; animal models of addiction; neuroscience theories of addiction.
Learning and teaching
Twelve 3 hour class based sessions with lectures workshops and seminar sessions Students will also be required to carry out independent learning, generally in the form of background reading.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
1. Critically evaluate the pharmacological mechanisms of drug action pertaining to addiction and substance misuse
2. Understand and critically evaluate the scientific use of animal experimentation in addiction research.
3. Critically evaluate the biological mechanisms of addiction and their related phenomena to addiction theories.
4. Provide an advanced, systematic and critical understanding of the biological factors involved in the conceptual accounts of reward and reinforcement.
Assessment strategy
This module is assessed in two ways:
1. Oral presentation of 20 minutes on specific biological features of drugs or other addictive behaviours
2. Unseen examination covering the core topics of the module. Students will be required to select two question from six, written in essay format.
Bibliography
Altman, J., Everitt, B. J., Glautier, S., Markou, A., Nutt, D., Oretti, R., et al. (1996). The biological, social and clinical bases of drug addiction: commentary and debate. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 125(4), 285-345.
Feldman, R. F., Meyer, J., & Quenzer, L. F. (1997). Principles of Neuropsychopharmacology Sinauer Associates Inc.
Iversen, L. L. (2006). Speed, Ecstasy, Ritalin: The Science of Amphetamines Oxford University Press.
Koob, G., & Le Moal, M. (2005). Neurobiology of Addiction Academic Press Inc.,U.S.
Kranzler, H. R., & Ciraulo, D. A. (Eds.). (2005). Clinical Manual of Addiction Psychopharmacology American Psychiatric Publishing Inc.
Lowinson, J. H., Langrod, J. G., Millman, R. B., & Ruiz, P. (Eds.). (2004). Substance Abuse: A Comprehensive Textbook Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Nutt, D. J., Robbins, T., Stimson, G., V. , & Ince, M. (Eds.). (2006). Drugs and the Future: Brain Science, Addiction and Society Academic Press Inc.
Rastegar, D. A., & Fingerhood, M. I. (2005). Addiction Medicine: An Evidence-Based Handbook: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Salamone, J. D., Correa, M., Mingote, S. M., & Weber, S. M. (2005). Beyond the reward hypothesis: alternative functions of nucleus accumbens dopamine. Curr Opin Pharmacol, 5(1), 34-41.
Sanchis-Segura, C., & Spanagel, R. (2006). Behavioural assessment of drug reinforcement and addictive features in rodents: an overview. Addict Biol, 11(1), 2-38.
Stahl, S. M. (2008). Essential Psychopharmacology (3rd ed.): Cambridge University Press