Psychopharmacology
[ EL029 ]

This course is cancelled. We hope to offer it again in the Spring of 2024.

Medical psychology is all about the interaction between mind and body: how do physical complaints affect our psychological functioning? But also: how does our psychological functioning affect us physically? When dealing with this interaction in a clinical setting, drug treatments often play an important role. Patients receiving drug treatment for psychiatric disorders frequently suffer physical side-effects, and drugs prescribed for somatic disorders can influence our mental state.

Therefore, medical psychologists need to know which drugs are prescribed for common psychiatric and somatic disorders, and need to have a basic understanding of how these (psychoactive) drugs work, how and why they invariably lead to side-effects, and how these side-effect affect compliance. We will look at drug treatment for psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia, but also at drugs like corticosteroids – used in the treatment of somatic conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease – which have been found to increase the risk of suicidal behavior and neuropsychiatric disorders (i.e. depression, panic and manic episodes).

At the end of this course, students:

1. Understand the four processes that encompass the pharmacokinetics of a drug (ADME), and can apply these principles to explain the response to (psychoactive) drugs in clinical case studies;

2. Understand the principles of pharmacogenetics, and can apply these principles to explain the response to psychoactive drugs in clinical case studies;

3. Have a basic understanding of the underlying neurobiology of anxiety, depression, ADHD, addiction and cognition;

4. Have a basic understanding of how psychoactive drugs work, how and why drugs invariably lead to side-effects, and how these side-effects affect compliance;

5. Are able to analyze a clinical case study, find and critically evaluate relevant scientific studies, and recommend an evidence-based plan for pharmacotherapeutic treatment.

An introductory level knowledge of the functioning of the human brain (basic knowledge and understanding of brain anatomy and the action of neurotransmitters).

Assignment(s), Attendance

T.B.A.