PS 333 - Drugs and Behavior

Time: Tues-Thurs 11-12:30 Instructor: Prof. Michael Hasselmo, http://www.bu.edu/people/hasselmo/

e-mail: hasselmo@bu.edu (e-mail is the best way to contact me) Tel: 353-1397

Office hours: Thursday 12:30-2:30 pm, Room 105E, 2 Cummington St.

Text: A Primer of Drug Action (8th Edition) by Robert M. Julien.

Grading: TWO MID-TERM EXAMS and a FINAL EXAM each worth 1/3 of grade.

Multiple-choice exams with questions based on lecture materials and reading.

Topic: Overview of the effect of drugs on neurophysiology and behavior. Topics in the course will include the anatomical distribution of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, physiological effects of drugs recorded in vivo and in vitro, behavioral evidence on the role of specific drugs, theories of the role of neuromodulators in mental and neurological disease, and computational modeling of neural circuits.

Dates: Topic: Reading:

Sept. 5 Introduction, course overview, Neuroanatomy Appendix IV

Sept. 7 Membrane potential, action potential pp. 503-531 (handouts)
Sept. 12 Synaptic transmission (synaptic potentials)

Sept. 14 Principles of drug action (delivery, lipid solubility) Chapter 1

Sept. 19 drug-receptor interaction, metabolism and excretion Chapter 1

I. AMINO ACID NEUROTRANSMITTERS

Sept. 21 Glutamate - AMPA and NMDA receptors pp. 370-374

Sept. 26 GABA Benzodiazepines and barbiturates Chapters 2 and 4

Sept. 28 Symptoms of anxiety disorders pp. 429-439, 446-456

Oct. 3 Treatment of anxiety disorders Chapters 2 and 4

Oct. 5 Alcohol – and effects on GABAA receptor Chapter 3

Oct. 10 No class – Substitute Monday schedule of classes

Oct. 12 EXAM #1 (one hour -- all topics covered before this date)

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II. ACETYLCHOLINE.

Oct. 17 Physiology and anatomy, muscarinic drugs pp. 516-521

Oct. 19 Effects of nicotine and caffeine Chapter 6

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III. CATECHOLAMINES

Oct. 24 Anatomy and physiology, Parkinson’s disease pp. 521-525, Appendix III

Oct. 26 Cocaine and amphetamines, ADHD and Ritalin Chapter 5

Oct. 31 Schizophrenia -- behavioral and cognitive symptoms pp. 443-445

Nov. 2 Neurochemical bases of schizophrenia Chapter 9

Antipsychotics (phenothiazines and butyrophenones)

Nov. 7 EXAM #2 (one hour – on topics II and III)

Nov. 9 VIDEO: The schizophrenias

Nov. 14 Marijuana Chapter 11

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IV. SEROTONIN

Nov. 16 Anatomy and physiology of serotonin, Hallucinogens pp. 525-526, Ch 12

Nov. 21 Affective disorders, MAOIs, tricyclic antidepressants pp. 439-443; Ch 7

Nov. 23 No class – Thanksgiving Holiday

Nov. 28 Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors Chapter 7

Nov. 30 Treatment of bipolar disorder: lithium Chapter 8

V. NEUROACTIVE PEPTIDES

Dec. 5 Anatomy and physiology of neuropeptides. Chapter 10, 13

Dec. 7 Hormones & reproduction, psychoneuroimmunol. Ch13, Appendix 1

Dec. 12 Opiate analgesia and addiction Chapter 10.

FINAL EXAM (one hour – on topics IV and V)