BSc Biomedical Sciences / Course details

Drugs and the Brain outlines the important types of drugs, including anaesthetics, antipsychotics and antidepressants, which are used to influence activity in the brain. You will learn how these drugs act on neurotransmitters and the side effects that their actions can cause.

BIOL21312 Pre & Co-requisites are BIOL10822

Students only need to study one of the pre-requisite courses

To describe

• the aetiology and symptomology of a range of brain disorders
• the range of mechanisms by which drugs can interfere with neurotransmission in the central nervous system (CNS)
• how neurotransmitter activities can be modified by drugs leading to the rational treatment of CNS disorders
• how an understanding of neurotransmitters and mechanisms of drug action can lead to more selective treatment of CNS disorders.

After completing the unit and recommended reading, students should have an understanding of:

• basic mechanisms of brain disorders

•    important classes of drugs used in medicine and/or biological research to influence central neuronal activity, particularly in humans
•    the mechanisms of action of these drugs in terms of their effects on major neurotransmitters
•    mechanism-related drug side-effects

•    Introduction to neuropharmacology
•    The central synapse: neurotransmitter systems as targets for drug therapy
•    Accessing the central synapse: the blood-brain barrier to drugs
•    Pharmacology of movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease
•    Pharmacology of general anaesthetics and local anaesthetics
•    Pharmacology of antipyretic-analgesic drugs
•    Pharmacology of opioid analgesic drugs
•    Pharmacology of antiepileptic drugs
•    Pharmacology of anxiolytic drugs
•    Pharmacology of CNS stimulants and psychotomimetics
•    Pharmacology of antipsychotic drugs
•    Pharmacology of antidepressant drugs
 

On campus written exam (1.5 hours) comprising two sections. Section A: a choice of 2 out of a choice of 3 short note questions; Section B: a choice of 6 out of 7 short note questions

Formative assessments in eLearning Modules. Post-exam guidance.

1 hour live introductory lecture
21 E-learning modules each with approximately 1 hour of pre-recorded content
A series of documentary and movie sessions will also be delivered. Students will be required to attend at least one of these in order to complete the reflective coursework exercise. Typical duration content duration: 2-3 hours