ArgosyUniversity

COURSE SYLLABUS

PP 7359

Introduction to Clinical Psychopharmacology and Substance Abuse

Summer 2010

Faculty Information

Faculty Name:Mark Conard, Ph.D.

Campus: Chicago

Contact Information:

Office Hours:Tues 3:15 – 4:15 pm or by appointment

Course Description:

The purpose of this course is to introduce graduate students to fundamental principles of psychopharmacology and to the available theory and research behind these principles. This course will also introduce students to some crucial ramifications to drug use. More specifically, this course will discuss the impact of psychopharmacology on the field of professional psychology. In addition, this course will address the topic of drug abuse.

Course Prerequisites: PP7051 Biological Basis of Behavior

Required Texts:

Julien, R.M. (2008). A Primer of Drug Action: A Comprehensive Guide to the Actions, Uses, and the Side Effects of Psychoactive Drugs, 11th Edition. New York, NY: Worth Publishers. ISBN: 1429206799

Kuhn, C., Swartzwelder, S. and Wilson, W. (2003). BUZZED: The Straight Facts About the Most Used and Abused Drugs, from Alcohol to Ecstasy. New York, NY: Norton. ISBN: 0393324931

Preston, J.D., O’Neal, J.H. and Talaga, M.C. (2008). Handbook of Clinical Psychopharmacology for Therapists, 5thEdition. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. ISBN: 1572245352

Technology Statement

ArgosyUniversity encourages the use of technology throughout the curriculum. In this course, lectures will use power point and audio/visual aids, and the general communication with the instructor is via email.

Course length: 8 weeks

Contact Hours: 45

Credit Value: 3.0

Course Objectives:

1.Gain a basic understanding of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics.

2.Gain a basic understanding of principles of clinical psychopharmacology.

3.Develop an appreciation of the physiological, psychological and socio-political consequences of drug use and abuse.

4.Open a discussion and promote a dialogue regarding combined treatment modalities(psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy), and prescription privileges to professional psychologists.

Course Outline and Readings (Subject to Change)

Week / Topic / Reading

Part I: Introduction and Fundamentals

1 –5/10 / Course Overview
Principles and history of psychopharmacology
1–5/11 / Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics / Julien - Ch. 1 & 2
Preston - Ch. 4
2–5/17 / Neuron physiology and neurotransmission / Julien - Chs. 3
Preston - Ch. 3
Part II: Specific Drugs and Pharmacotherapy
2–5/18 / Antidepressants and treatment of mood disorders / Julien - Ch. 7
Preston – Chs. 6 & 15
3–5/24 / Mood stabilizers and treatment of bipolar disorders / Julien - Chs. 8
Preston - Chs. 7 & 16
3–5/25 / Anxiolytics and treatment of anxiety disorders / Julien - Chs. 5 & 6
Preston - Chs. 8, 9 & 17
Exam 1
4–5/31 / Memorial Day – No Class
4–6/1 / Antipsychotics and the treatment of severe psychopathology / Julien - Ch. 9
Preston - Chs. 10 &18
5 – 6/7 / Psychostimulants and treatment of ADHD / Julien - Ch. 10 (pp. 352-61), 13 (pp. 470-3)
Ch. 11 (pp. 405-13)
5 – 6/8 / Cognitive enhancers and treatment of dementia / Julien - Ch. 10 (pp. 352-61), 13 (pp. 470-3)
Ch. 11 (pp. 405-13)

Part III: Selected Topics

5–6/14 / Drugs of abuse: alcohol / Julien - Ch. 4
Buzzed Ch. 1
6–6/15 / Drugs of abuse: stimulants, hallucinogens / Julien - Chs.13, 14, 18
Buzzed - Chs. 2, 4, 8, 12
7–6/21 / Drugs of abuse: opiates & inhalants / Julien - Ch. 4 (pp. 131-137), 16
Buzzed Ch.6, 9
7–6/22 / Treating sleep disorders
Prescriptions privileges / TBA
8 – 6/28 / Exam 2

Grading Criteria:

This is a critical and fundamental course in the curriculum of ASPP. Mastery of this course material is essential for several academic and training components of this program. Students are expected to attend all classes, read all designated chapters, and complete all assignments. Meaningful participation in classroom discussions is encouraged and expected. Students are invited to ask questions, express their thoughts regarding the material presented, and demonstrate respect and sensitivity to individual differences and opinions.

Students’ course performance will be assessed in the following way:

  • Class participation: students will be evaluated by their attendance and their contributions to class discussions.
  • In-class exams: Two exams will be given during the semester. Exams will cover both information in the class text/readings and lecture materials. The exams are not cumulative. It is in your best interest to keep up with the class. Note thatthe textbooks are not always covered in class. You are responsible for reading and understanding the information in the textbook. Therefore, if you have questions about the material, it is your responsibility to ask questions about the material prior to the exams. You should contact me if you have any questions.
  • Paper: Students will be responsible to complete a paper that will cover an area within psychopharmacology. The potential topics will be discussed and further information will be provided during the first week’s class session.
  • The final grade for this course will be determined by the total points (250) earned from all assignments as follows:

Grading requirementsGrading Scale

2 exams (100 pts each) / 80%
Paper (50 pts) / 20%
100%
A / 100 – 93
A- / 92 – 90
B+ / 89 – 88
B / 87 – 83
B- / 82 – 80
C+ / 79 – 78
C / 77 - 73
C- / 72 – 70
D+ / 69 – 68
D / 67 – 63
D- / 62 – 60
F / 59 and below

Library

All resources in ArgosyUniversity’s online collection are available through the Internet. The campus librarian will provide students with links, user IDs, and passwords.

Library Resources:ArgosyUniversity’s core online collection features more than 21,000 full-text journals, 23,000 electronic books and other content covering all academic subject areas including Business & Economics, Career & General Education, Computers, Engineering & Applied Science, Humanities, Science, Medicine & Allied Health, and Social & Behavior Sciences.All electronic resources can be accessed through the library’s website at User IDs and passwords are distributed during orientation, but can also be obtained at the circulation desk, calling 312-777-7653, or by e-mail at .

In addition to online resources, ArgosyUniversity’s onsite collections contain a wealth of subject-specific research materials searchable in the Library Online Catalog. Catalog searching is easily limited to individual campus collections.Alternatively, students can search combined collections of all Argosy University Libraries. Students are encouraged to seek research and reference assistance from campus librarians.

Information Literacy: ArgosyUniversity’s Information Literacy Tutorial was developed to teach fundamental and transferable research skills, including selecting sources appropriate for academic-level research, searching periodical indexes and search engines, and evaluating and citing information. In the tutorial, students study concepts and practice them through interactions. At the conclusion of each module, they can test their comprehension and receive immediate feedback. Each module takes less than 20 minutes to complete. Please view the tutorial at

Academic Policies

Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process, ArgosyUniversity requires that the submission of all course assignments represent the original work produced by that student. All sources must be documented through normal scholarly references/citations and all work must be submitted using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition (2001). WashingtonDC: American Psychological Association (APA) format. Please refer to Appendix A in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th Edition for thesis and paper format. Students are encouraged to purchase this manual (required in some courses) and become familiar with its content as well as consult the ArgosyUniversity catalog for further information regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism.

Scholarly writing: The faculty at ArgosyUniversity is dedicated to providing a learning environment that supports scholarly and ethical writing, free from academic dishonesty and plagiarism. This includes the proper and appropriate referencing of all sources. You may be asked to submit your course assignments through “Turnitin,” ( an online resource established to help educators develop writing/research skills and detect potential cases of academic dishonesty. Turnitin compares submitted papers to billions of pages of content and provides a comparison report to your instructor. This comparison detects papers that share common information and duplicative language.

Americans with Disabilities Act Policy

It is the policy of ArgosyUniversity to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If a student with disabilities needs accommodations, the student must notify the Director of Student Services. Procedures for documenting student disability and the development of reasonable accommodations will be provided to the student upon request.

Students will be notified by the Director of Student Services when each request for accommodation is approved or denied in writing via a designated form. To receive accommodation in class, it is the student’s responsibility to present the form (at his or her discretion) to the instructor. In an effort to protect student privacy, the Department of Student Services will not discuss the accommodation needs of any student with instructors. Faculty may not make accommodations for individuals who have not been approved in this manner.

The ArgosyUniversity Statement Regarding Diversity

ArgosyUniversity prepares students to serve populations with diverse social, ethnic, economic, and educational experiences. Both

the academic and training curricula are designed to provide an environment in which students can develop the skills and attitudes essential to working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.

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