PSY 335A Drugs and Behavior

Course Description

Course Syllabus

General objectives. To understand and be able to compare

• the major categories of psychoactive drugs;
• their physiological, psychological, and societal effects;
• patterns and causes of their use and abuse in individuals and societies; and
• systems of drug education.

Learning outcomes. At the end of this course, you should be able to

• predict the likely effect on behavior of various psychoactive substances;
• identify drugs by their physiological, psychological, and social effects on human beings, and
• evaluate their potential for abuse.

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General course arrangement.

1. Basic terminology and principles of drug action: Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and the pharmacopoeia. Julien chapter 1 and appendix IV.

2. CNS depressants: Julien chapters 2,3,and 4.

3. CNS stimulants: Julien chapters 5 and 6.

4. Psychiatrically useful drugs: Julien chapters 7,8, 9, and 15.

5. Opioids and opiates: Julien chapter 10.

6. Psychedelics and marijuana: Julien chapters 11 and 12.

7. Neurologically useful drugs: Julien appendix III.

8. Birth control and fertility compounds: Julien appendix I.

9. Social issues: Drug abuse, the law, and drug education: Julien chapters 13 and 14.

Required textbook.

Julien, R.M. (1998). A primer of drug action, 8e. San Francisco: Freeman.

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Major assignments and expectations.

1. Read assigned material in the textbook and elsewhere, and use it to contribute to class discussions. Occasional, unannounced in-class or electronic writing assignments or quizzes will draw on your reading. You must read all of the assigned material, whether it is covered in class or not. Most readings will be useful in class discussion. As missed quizzes and other in-class assignments may not be replaced, perfect attendance is to your advantage. The course also has a home page, which may provide helpful information, including this syllabus. 10%

2. Three content examinations

Thursday, October 1.................................15%

Thursday, November 5.............................20%

Tuesday, December 15, 8 a.m...................25%

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3. Paper or project (videotape, PowerPoint class presentation, Web site) on a topic approved by the instructor.

• Estimated paper length is 20 pages, and electronic projects should demonstrate an equivalent amount of scholarship.
• Submit a proposal of one page in length by September 15, which explains your topic, tells why you want to do your paper on that topic, and lists the five best sources you have found so far.
• The final draft of the paper or project will be due November 21, and will be marked out of 15%. Correct English usage is expected.
• Use primary source material, including at least fifteen (15) journal articles. The journals may be either paper or electronic, but non-journal websites do not count toward the required 15 journal articles.
• In your paper or project, show a clear explanation of the topic, including relevant research and case reports.
• Suggested topics:
• Any drug or small family of drugs (eg. opiate antagonists), including history of its use and abuse, pharmacology, therapeutic potential, and current street status.
• Issues surrounding legalization of all drugs or any category of currently illicit compounds, such as marijuana.
• Targeted drug education methods.
• Treatment for addiction to a family of drugs, eg. heroin.
• Drug treatment of a particular mental disorder.
• Student electronic projects, both PowerPoints and websites, are published here.

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4. Find and read current articles in newspapers, public affairs magazines, and popular magazines. These articles must deal with statistics about drug use, opinions or policy about drug use, development of new drugs, discovery of new uses for existing drugs, or discovery of side effects of drugs. A compendium of articles, many of which are relevant to this learning activity, is available from the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information. The compendium is updated daily.

a. Bring appropriate ones to class for discussion.

b. Then, for each of the following due dates, choose one of the articles you have read, and do further scholarly research (books, journal articles, appropriate Web sites) to help you evaluate the article. Write a one-page critique of the claims made in the article, using your scholarly sources.

i. Due October 8

ii. Due November 3

iii. Due December 3 (Total value: 10%)

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5. Applied project. Take your pick of one of the following. If you prefer, suggest an alternative for my approval. Complete the project, write a one page report, and submit it by November 19. 5%

a. Visit a drug rehabilitation center.

b. Attend an open meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, Alateen, or a similar 12-Step group.

c. Take a free visit at a weight loss clinic.

d. Call a drug-information hotline (but not a crisis hotline, unless you are in a crisis). Inquire about two separate drugs of abuse.

e. Design and conduct an opinion poll, using a sample of at least 100 people who are over the age of 18. Report your results clearly.

f. Explore the training and credentialing requirements to become a drug abuse counselor in your home state.

6. Electronic discussion. I intend for the class to have ongoing discussion through electronic means during the semester. The main channel is to be the shared folder set up in Groupwise. Alternatively, you may use direct e-mail on occasion. I prefer the folder, since that permits everyone to benefit from your wisdom and experience.

Electronic discussion is designed to continue class discussions after meeting times, to raise issues that have come up in your readings, conversations, or thinking, and to give a voice to people who do not have the opportunity to speak in class.

For each substantive contribution you make in electronic discussion, I will record 1/2 point toward your final grade, up to a maximum of five points. Check the discussion folder at least twice per week.

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A discussion group folder has been added to your Groupwise account. It should show up in the left panel of your Groupwise screen as a folder labeled Discussion group under Drugs and Behavior under your Cabinet files. If there is a plus sign (+) in the box to the left of your Cabinet files icon, click it to show the folders available: one of them should be Drugs and Behavior.

When you get to the Discussion group icon, it should have a receiving hand over a folder icon. If it doesn't, please let me know.

To post a message to the Discussion group, click on the icon, then click File...New...Discussion. That will open a dialog box, and you can send an e-mail as usual.

Remember that items you post to the discussion group may be read by any member of the class, including the teacher. However, nobody else has access to your musings.

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• American Psychological Association

The APA site is an award-winning connection to the resources of the Association, including membership and an on-line copy of the APA Monitor, the APA's newspaper. Highly recommended.

• The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information has a well-developed website, with survey results, a variety of drug education programs, and access to databases like Prevline, a searchable database of websites on drug topics.
• Food and Drug Administration

The FDA site is a dependable, easily-used site with wide-ranging links. Highly recommended.

• National Institutes of Health

• National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
• National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA)

• Slang terms or street names for drugs can be identified via this dictionary.

• Read the 1997 speech by Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey, Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy.
• Then see how it played out in the 1998 National Drug Control Strategy.

• Several research reports and statistics on drug use are available on this site.
• Student Projects:
• Melissa Hobbs on methylphenidate/Ritalin treatment of AD/HD.

• Medical perspectives on substance abuse are available from MedMatrix

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

• United States Information Agency (USIA) sometimes has relevant information, especially on internationals perspectives on drug use and trafficking.

• Web of Addictions: A commercial site which offers current drug information from an anti-drug abuse perspective.

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Examination One

Examination Two

Examination Three

2. Essay questions: This is not an exhaustive list. Prepare the study questions in Julien's Student Handbook, as well.

• Explain the practical and theoretical issues surrounding drug classification.
• Describe seven ways drugs may be classified.
• Explain the many manifestations of tolerance.
• Can someone be harmed by a dosage of a drug to which tolerance has been developed? How?
• Describe the various routes of drug administration. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method?
• Calculate the relative fat solubility of a drug of a particular pH and pKa in solutions of particular pH, using the henderson-Hasselbalch equation.
• How do drug half-lives relate to the effectiveness of a dose of a drug?
• Label the components of a typical dose-response curve.
• Describe how drug action is terminated and drugs are eliminated from the body.
• Is it true that drug trafficking is concentrated in certain urban areas?
• If it is, why? Is it a simple matter of population density?
• Are particular populations of people more likely than others to demonstrate problem drug use?
• If there are differences in drug problems in different populations, what demographic factors seem to contribute to drug use?
• How do drug distribution, drug usage, and societal power structures relate to each other?
• Do drug education programs on the east side of Buffalo work? Are they effective? Why or why not?
• How does the drug industry -- both the legitimate and the illegitimate sides -- target vulnerable people? Give examples.
• What are the five categories of CNS depressants? Give an example of each.
• Outline the progressive stages of CNS depression from drugs.
• Outline and explain Julien's five principles of CNS depressant action. What is peculiar about principle 3?
• What are polysynaptic pathways, and why are they the first to be depressed?
• What is GABA?  What does it do?
• What is a GABA receptor?  How is its action affected by barbiturates and benzodiazepines?
• Why is usage of barbiturates declining?
• What is "Drug-Induced Brain Syndrome"? How is it assessed using a Mental Status Exam?
• Are there special problems with CNS depressants in people over age 70?  Why?
• How do the pharmacokinetics of barbiturates lead to their sub-classification?
• Outline the pharmacological and psychological effects of the barbiturates.
• What are the mechanisms whereby tolerance develops to barbiturates? Is barbiturate tolerance uniform?
• What are the risks of physical and psychological dependence on barbiturates?
• Explain the hypothesis, preferred by Julien, that general anaesthetics work by disrupting flow of ions across the neuron membrane.
• Outline six types of inhalants, with examples of each.
• What are the special risks associated with inhalant abuse?

1. Terms.

2. Essay questions: This is not an exhaustive list. Prepare the study questions in Julien's Student Handbook, as well.

a. Outline the process of drug testing and approval as governed by the FDA.

b. Explain Julien’s principles of CNS depressant action.

c. Describe the historical development of the CNS depressants, showing how each reputed advance ended up producing additional problems.

d. Explain the action of the barbiturates. What factors differentiate the short- and long-acting forms?

e. When and for what reasons are the benzodiazepines preferable to earlier compounds such as the barbiturates?

f. How do the benzodiazepines, both agonists and antagonists, work? What do they do pharmacologically and behaviorally?

g. Outline the anxiety disorders for which benzodiazepines are effective.

h. Describe the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the benzodiazepines. Should older people use them? Why not?

i. Describe the pharmacokinetics of ethyl alcohol.

j. Describe the pharmacodynamics of ethyl alcohol.

k. Present a history of alcohol use and abuse.

l. Outline, with explanations, the chronic effects of alcohol consumption on body systems.

m. What is the history of amphetamine use and abuse?

n. How do the effects of amphetamines change with increasing dosage?

o. How does drug usage relate to AD/HD?

p. Outline the history of cocaine use and abuse.

q. Explain the preparation of the various forms of cocaine. How effective is each form?

r. Why was powdered cocaine HCl popular with the upper middle class? Why was crack cocaine use epidemic in inner city neighbourhoods?

s. Evaluate the research on crack babies.

t. What are the pharmacodynamics of cocaine? What are its short term and long term side effects?

u. How does tolerance to cocaine develop?

v. Outline the plant sources of xanthines.

w. What are the pharmacodynamic effects of caffeine?

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Copyright 1998 Paul D. Young Last updated 17 September, 1998.