Neuropharmacology
Course content
This course will cover the neurobiology and pharmacological treatment of major psychiatric disorders, disorders of sleep and chronic pain. For each disorder, students will learn about the neurotransmitters, receptors, and neurotransmitter interactions involved, as well as different hypotheses linking dysfunctional neural circuits to clinical symptoms.
Based on this, the course will focus on the pharmacological profiles of drugs targeting each disorder, specifically discussing how the diverse pharmacological actions couple to therapeutic efficacies and adverse side effects. In this regard, comorbidities, pharmacodynamic and -kinetic interactions with other pharmacotherapeutics, and individual life style differences, will also be adressed to discuss issues of contraindications.
For each disorder, current and potential future therapeutic principles and novel pharmacological targets will be discussed. In this regard, the challenges of drug discovery and development will be addressed, including the choice of animal models to predict clinical efficacy and side effects.
MSc Programme in Pharmacy (Danish programme cand.pharm) - elective
MSc Programme in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Danish programme cand.scient.pharm ) - restricted elective
MSc Programme in Medicinal Chemistry - elective
MSc Programme in Pharmaceutical Sciences (English programme) - restricted elective
MSc Programme in Molecular Biomedicine (SCIENCE) - restricted elective
At the end of this course, students are expected to be able to:
Knowledge
- describe the structure and function of the brain, with emphasis on brain regions, neurotransmitters systems and their interactions.
- describe the different types of psychiatric disorders, sleep disorders, and chronic pain states, including symptoms, the neurotransmitter systems involved, and pharmacological treatments, as well as knowledge about common animal models used in the research on the different types of psychiatric disorders, sleep disorders, and chronic pain states.
Skills
- discuss differences and similarities between the disorders covered and how this pertains to the possible pharmacological treatment approaches
- critically evaluate pros and cons of both current and future possible pharmacotherapeutic strategies based on an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms of action of conventional treatments for the disorders covered in this course.
Competences
- combine elements of their understanding to form ideas of new treatment strategies using available drugs.
- combine elements of their understanding with other competences (obtained from e.g. other courses or from work experience) to explore novel pharmacological targets/treatment options.
- reflect on principles for the quantification and assessment of the role of different pharmacological targets in treatment outcome
Lectures, discussions and interactive learning tools (Mentimeter, Socrative, Kahoot, etc.).
Stahl’s “Essential Psychopharmacology”, most recent edition.
Selected scientific articles (original investigations and review articles) available at the course web page.
If you are applying for the course as a credit transfer student, you must have passed the first five semesters of the BSc Programme in Pharmacy or have acquired similar competencies from other courses. Documentation for corresponding competencies in the form of a course descriptions and an exam result must be attached to your application.
Open for credit transfer students and other external students. Apply here:
Credit transfer students:
Credit transfer student at SUND – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)
Other external students:
http://healthsciences.ku.dk/education/student-mobility/guest-students/
Credit transfer and other external students are welcomed on the course if there are seats available and they have the academic qualifications.
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Oral examination, 30 min
- Type of assessment details
- You will be given a main question that you can reflect on for 1-2 min if necessary. This question will be the center of discussion for a little more than half of the examination time (~10-15 min). The rest of the examination will be in the form of 4 minor questions pertaining to other topics within the course content.
- Aid
- Without aids
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- External censorship
Criteria for exam assessment
To achieve the grade 12 the student must be able to:
Knowledge
- describe the structure and function of the brain, with emphasis on brain regions, neurotransmitters systems and their interactions.
- describe the different types of psychiatric disorders, sleep disorders, and chronic pain states, including symptoms, the neurotransmitter systems involved, and pharmacological treatments, as well as knowledge about common animal models used in the research on the different types of psychiatric disorders, sleep disorders, and chronic pain states.
Skills
- discuss the pros and cons of different pharmacological treatment approaches
- critically evaluate pros and cons of both current and novel pharmacotherapeutic strategies based on an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms of action of conventional treatments for the disorders covered in this course.
Competences
- combine elements of their understanding to form ideas of new treatment strategies using available drugs.
- combine elements of their understanding with other competences (obtained from e.g. other courses or from work experience) to explore novel pharmacological targets/treatment options.
- reflect on principles for the quantification and assessment of the role of different pharmacological targets in treatment outcome
Single subject courses (day)
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 66
- Preparation
- 100
- Exam Preparation
- 39
- Exam
- 1
- English
- 206
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- SFKKIL004U
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Programme level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
-
1 block
- Placement
- Block 3
- Schedulegroup
-
C
- Capacity
- 20 students
- Studyboard
- Study Board of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Contracting department
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Course Coordinator
- Jesper Andreasen T. (3-6e78654477797268326f7932686f)
Teacher
Jesper T Andreasen (schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, ADHD,
addiction)
Kristi Anne Kohlmeier (disorders of sleep and wakefulness)
Anne-Marie Heegaard (chronic pain)
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Courseinformation of students