Psychopharmacology Review Course
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Introduction to Pharmacology and Psychopharmacology

What is Pharmacology?
General Mechanisms in Psychopharmacology
Overview of Psychopharmacological Treatments
Overview of Drug Development
Clinical Trials (Phases I-IV)
Drug Patents, Generic Drugs, Orphan Drugs, and Expedited Reviews
The Basics of Studying Drugs and Medications

What is Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics?
Pharmacokinetics: Routes of Administration
Pharmacokinetics: A-D-M-E
Pharmacokinetics: Absorption
Pharmacokinetics: Distribution
Pharmacokinetics: Concentration-Time Curves
Pharmacokinetics: Steady State
Pharmacokinetics: Metabolism
Pharmacokinetics: Elimination Half-Life
Pharmacokinetics: Drug Clearance and Elimination Kinetics
Pharmacodynamics: Dose-Response Curves
Pharmacodynamics: Agonists, Partial Agonists, Antagonists, and Inverse Agonists
Genetics

What is Genetics?
The Central Dogma of Biology
What is Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)?
Altering DNA, Mutations, and Epigenetics
What is Ribonucleic acid (RNA)?
Terms, Definitions, Laboratory Techniques, and Types of Genetic Studies
Medications for Anxiety Disorders

Rapid Review of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiolytics
Medications for Psychotic Disorders

Psychosis
Rapid Review of Psychotic Disorders
Antipsychotics
Medications for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Psychostimulants
Nonstimulants, Modafinil, and Armodafinil
Medications for Mood Disorders

Mood, Affect, and Mood Disorders
Rapid Review of Depressive Disorders
Historical Background of Antidepressants
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
Norepinephrine Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitors (NDRIs)
Serotonin Receptor Partial Agonists (SPARIs) & Serotonin Receptor Antagonists (SARIs)
Norepinephrine Receptor Antagonists and Agonists
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs)
Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs)
Ketamine
Rapid Review of Bipolar Disorders
Mood Stabilizers
Lithium
Valproic Acid (Depakote)
Lamotrigine (Lamictal)
Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal)
Topiramate (Topamax)
Basic Neuroscience Principles

Divisions of the Human Nervous System
Neurons and Glial Cells
Autonomic Nervous System
Neurotransmitters
Receptors
Signal Transduction
Neurotransmitter Systems
Membrane Potentials and Action Potentials
The Synapse
Medications for Cognitive Disorders (e.g. Dementia)

Neurobiology of Memory
Dementia and Cognitive Enhancers
L-Dopa and Parkinson Disease
Medications for Pain

Neurobiology of Pain
Opioids and the Treatment of Pain
Addiction and Drug Abuse

What is Addiction?
Sobering Statistics (Pun Intended)
Terms and Definitions
Reasons people use and misuse drugs
Dopamine, Mesolimbic Pathway, and the Neurobiology of Addiction
From Pleasure to Compulsion
Alcohol (Ethanol)
Nicotine
Marijuana (Cannabis)
Psychostimulants
Opioids (Heroin)
Methanol and Ethylene Glycol
Prescribing Psychiatric Medications in Medically Complex Patients

Psychopharmacology in Medical Illnesses (PDF)
QTc Prolongation and Psychotropic Medications
General Psychopharmacology Facts Every Prescriber Should Know
References

References for this course
Psychopharmacology Review Questions

REVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (PDF)

Psychopharmacology Review Course

A review of psychotropic medications used to treat mental disorders. Topics covered include clinical pharmacology, basic neuroscience, psychopharmacology, and neurobiology of mental disorders.