James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2020

PP3252 - Neuropharmacology

Subject Description

The Neuropharmacology subject builds on the basic concepts of neurophysiology and neurotransmission to examine the role of neural communication in the regulation of various neuropsychiatric disorders. Your goal will be to investigate the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders and the ways in which these disorders are managed pharmacologically. The pharmacology of the peripheral and central nervous systems. It examines neural communication as a target for drug intervention, and how drugs may be used to relieve pain, produce anaesthesia, regulate autonomic function, as well as control the symptoms of various neuropsychiatric disorders. The subject also contains an introduction to behavioural pharmacology and the mechanisms of drug addiction.

Learning Outcomes

• approaches to studying behavioural pharmacology and its implications to therapeutic drug development as well as the understanding of addictive and other behaviour patterns
• current knowledge of the neurochemical basis of neurological disease and its treatment, e.g. the use of neuroleptics in the treatment of schizophrenia
• normal neuronal function and the targets at which neuronal function may be modified by drugs
• the neurobiology of pain and current strategies and future developments in the control of pain
• current understanding of how genes and environment interact in the development of psychiatric disorders

Subject Assessment

• Invigilated > End of semester exam - (60%)
• Non-Invigilated > Assignments - (40%)

Note that minor variations might occur due to the continuous subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.

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