Your Brain on Drugs: The Neuroscience Behind Drugs of Abuse and Addiction
PSYC 351
Fall 2024
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01
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Substance use disorder (colloquially known as drug addiction) is a pervasive disease that has touched countless lives. In order to understand the disease, one must first understand the mechanism of actions of addictive substances. This course will cover several major classes of abused drugs (nicotine, alcohol, amphetamines, cannabis, psychedelics, etc.) through a combination of lectures and discussion of current research articles studying these substances and their effects on the brain. Societal influences on the conception of addiction and addiction treatment will also be discussed. This course is largely discussion based, with a final project on a drug of choice. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
NSM PSYC |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (NS&B)(PSYC) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Caroline Jean Acker, CREATING THE AMERICAN JUNKIE: ADDICTION RESEARCH IN THE CLASSIC ERA OF NARCOTIC CONTROL, 9780801883835.
Robert Grandield, Craig Reinarman, EXPANDING ADDICTION: CRITICAL ESSAYS, 9780203757321.
Various research articles.
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Examinations and Assignments:
Discussion postings; paper presentations; final paper in the style of a review on an abused drug of choice (appx 10 pages). |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Students should have taken NSB213/PSYC 240 Behavioral Neurobiology. This course counts as a specialized or elective course towards the psychology major.
Addiction, otherwise known as Substance Use Disorder, is a complex disease covering the misuse of several classes of drugs. In this course, students will learn about the mechanism of action of several addictive substances including nicotine, alcohol, opioids, barbiturates, cannabis, and psychedelics. Each week, students will be presented with a lecture or reading to give background information about the substance of the week and then asked to discuss a current journal article that examines said substance. This seminar will culminate in a final project that reviews current research of a drug of choice.
Throughout the course students will also participate in readings and discussions about the field of addiction as a whole. Students will learn about the DSM-5 and its classification of substance use disorders, along with current and historical treatments. Course participants will attempt to tackle big questions about what counts as an addiction, criminalization of drug use, and societal influences on our understanding of addiction. |
| Instructor(s): Poisson,Carli Lorraine Times: ..T.R.. 01:20PM-02:40PM; Location: FISK305; |
Permission of Instructor Required
Enrollment capacity: 15 | Permission of instructor will be granted during the drop/add period. Students must submit either a ranked or unranked drop/add request for this course. |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 6 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 1 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 5 |
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