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Unit of study_
BMRI5013: Neuropsychopharmacology
2024 unit information
This elective unit will focus on neuropsychopharmacology as a tool for characterizing brain pathways and as a treatment for brain disorders. Students will be introduced to basic principles of pharmacology governing drug binding and metabolism that underlie the rationale for drug design. Links between brain circuitry and phenomenology of various brain disorders including chronic pain, anxiety and motorn neuron disease will be examined to provide a rationale for chosen drug targets. Students will also examine the relationship between dosage, specificity and negative side effects of such drugs. There will be the opportunity critically to examine current directions in neuropharmacology research, the role of the pharmaceutical industry, potential new pathways for future drug design and drug policy.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Brain and Mind Science
| Code | BMRI5013 |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Brain and Mind Science |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. understand the breadth of drug targets, neurotransmitter systems and receptors in the nervous system
- LO2. apply basic principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to commonly used agents targeting the central nervous system
- LO3. interpret side-effects in the context of non-specific targets of pharmacological agents
- LO4. evaluate the advantages and limitations of cellular and animal models used in neuropharmacology
- LO5. use knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of disorders such as anxiety, dementia and chronic pain to explain the mechanisms of action for common pharmaceutical treatments
- LO6. discuss the neurobiology of addiction, mechanisms of common drugs of abuse and describe pharmacological interventions to combat addiction
- LO7. discuss current research developments in the area of drug design.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 1 2024
|
Block mode | Mallett Street, Sydney | |
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Semester 1 2024
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Online | Mallett Street, Sydney |
Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
