84439 - Neuropsychopharmacology

Learning outcomes

Describe the classification, mechanism of action, indications, and side effects of drugs for the treatment of the main neurological diseases. Describe the classification, mechanism of action, indications, and side effects of drugs for the treatment of the main psychiatric disorders. Describe the classification, mechanism of action, indications, and side effects of drugs acting on the autonomic nervous system.

Course contents

 

Pharmacology of the autonomic nervous system:

• Drugs acting as cholinergic and adrenergic agonist: pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and side effects
• Drugs acting as cholinergic and adrenergic antagonist: pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and side effects

Drugs acting on dopaminergic transmisson:

• Drugs acting as agonist: pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and side effects
• Drugs acting as antagonist: pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and side effects

Drugs acting on serotonergic system:

• Drugs acting as agonist: pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and side effects
• Drugs acting as antagonist: pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and side effects

Drugs acting on GABA-ergic transmission:

• Drugs acting as agonist: pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and side effects
• Drugs acting as antagonist: pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and side effects

Hints on pharmacological therapy in neurodegenerative pathologies and in epilepsy

Readings/Bibliography

1) Hitchings, Lonsdale, Burrage, Baker. The top 100 drugs. Clinical pharmacology and practical prescribing. 2nd Edition, 2019, Elsevier.

2) Goodman and Gilman’s The pharmacological basis of  Therapeutics. 13TH Edition. 2018. The McGraw-Hill Companies.

Teaching methods

Interactive lectures where general rules are derived from practical examples taken from everyday experience. Teaching materials and slides are made available to the students via the moodle platform at least the day before the lesson. During the lessons, it is important for students to have direct access (online or off-line) to the teaching materials in order to be able to concentrate on specific contents rather than on reproducing slides.

Attending lessons plays an important role in the learning process. During lessons, the teachers guides the students in the critical reading of the teaching materials and provides opportunities for online formative assessment.

Final summative assessment takes also into account the level of critical thinking achieved by the student while illustrating the extracted topic.

Attendance to learning activities is mandatory; the minimum attendance requirement to be admitted to the final exam is 60% of lessons. For Integrated Courses (IC), the 60% attendance requirement refers to the total amount of I.C. lessons. Students who fail to meet the minimum attendance requirement will not be admitted to the final exam of the course, and will have to attend relevant classes again during the next academic year.

Professors may authorise excused absences upon receipt of proper justifying documentation, in case of illness or serious reasons. Excused absences do not count against a student’s attendance record to determine their minimum attendance requirement.

Assessment methods

The final exam regarding "NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY" will be an oral assessment to verify the achievement of objectives (critical thinking, knowledge of topics) within the integrated course of Neurological, Psychiatric Diseases and Pain (I.C.).

The candidate will have to develop a critical analysis on the topic that will be drawn from the following list:

1) Autonomic nervous system drugs, types of neurotransmission
2) Drugs and GABA-ergic transmission
3) Drugs that interfere with serotonergic and central adrenergic transmission: antidepressants
4) Drugs that interfere with dopaminergic transmission: antipsychotics
5) Drugs that interfere with dopaminergic transmission: drugs for the treatment of parkinson's disease
6) Hints on pharmacological therapy in neurodegenerative pathologies

7) Hints on pharmacological therapy in epilepsy

The candidate will have 10 min to develop the topic at her/his convenience.

Teaching tools

Students are encouraged to attend the lectures with a printout of the relevant file downloaded from moodle or bringing electronic devices to access the relevant material during the lecture. This will allow easier interaction with the teacher when asked to discuss a problem.

Also e-learning material (including scientific literature and self-assessment tools) will be provided.

Office hours

See the website of Roberto Rimondini Giorgini