PSYC G4499 -- Behavioral Psychopharmacology
Dr. Marija Kundakovic
Fall 2011
I. Bulletin description
II. Full course description
III. Rationale for giving the course
IV. Weekly outline of topics and readings
V. Course requirements and grading
I. Bulletin description
PSYC G4499. Behavioral Psychopharmacology (seminar).
4 pts. Thursdays 2:10 – 4 PM in 405 Schermerhorn Hall
Prerequisites: Basic background in neurobiology (for instance PSYC 1010, 2450, 2460,
or 2480) and the instructor's permission.
Principles and advanced concepts in basic and applied psychopharmacology. An
overview of the neurobiological basis of brain dysfunction, with a focus on drugs used in
the treatment of psychiatric and behavioral disorders as well as novel pharmacological
approaches to treatment.
II. Full course description:
This course explores basic neuropharmacology and neurobiology of behavioral disorders,
and provides a review of the mechanisms and clinical application of psychotropic drug
treatments. The emphasis of the first part of the course is on drug development and
evaluation, distribution and elimination of drugs, neurotransmission, and molecular
aspects of the interaction of a drug with its target sites in central nervous system. This
part of the course will consist of lectures given by the instructor followed by class
discussions. In the second part of the course, we will examine current neurochemical
hypotheses and pharmacological treatments of various psychiatric disorders, including
schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety and sleep disorders, as well as
addiction and substance abuse disorders. We will also explore the effects of steroid
hormones on mood and cognition, and address the possible implications of hormone
replacement therapy in behavioral and cognitive deficits in elderly patients. Finally, the
course examines novel strategies for development of psychotropic drugs, including an
overview of the exciting new field of epigenetics in psychiatry The topics of the second
part of the course will be introduced through overview lectures given by the instructor.
Following presentation of every two to three topics, there will be a session devoted to
student journal presentations and class discussions on the recently covered topics.
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III. Rationale for giving the course:
This course is designed to familiarize the students with basic and more advanced
concepts of psychopharmacology, and will explore both basic science and applied clinical
research in this field. The first part of the course will cover general principles of
neuropharmacology, neurotransmission and research methods in behavioral neuroscience,
and will prepare students for the sections of the course involving the study of
neurobiology and treatments of specific mental and behavioral disorders. Besides
exploring drugs that are currently used in psychiatric clinical practice, the course will also
emphasize novel strategies for development of psychopharmacological treatments. While
the main goal of the course is to provide overview of all relevant topics in
psychopharmacology, the students will be urged to further explore their specific area of
interest by choosing a topic and type of article for presentation and essay writing.
Student presentations and discussions will be aimed to foster critical evaluation of
primary research literature, while students will also be required to write a term paper in
the form of a review article, for which they will be asked to summarize the current state
of knowledge and research on a particular topic. Overall, this course is designed to
provide a foundation for advanced study in behavioral neuroscience,
neuropsychopharmacology, and related research areas, as well as to provide an
introduction to the pharmacological treatment of mental disorders for students interested
in clinical psychology and psychiatry.
The Psychology Program Goals that will be advanced in this seminar (see
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/psychology/dept/ugrad/goals.html) include 1. Knowledge
base; 2. Research methods; 4. Critical thinking; 5. Values in psychology; 6. Application
of psychology; 7. Communication skills—written; 8. Communication skills—oral; 9.
Information and technological literacy.
PSYC G4499 is an advanced seminar, designed particularly for graduate students, for
advanced undergraduates who are majoring in Psychology or in Neuroscience and
Behavior, and for students participating in the Psychology Postbac Certificate Program.
These students will have priority in registration, followed by junior majors followed by
non-majors.
The seminar will be well suited to students who have completed two or more lecture
courses beyond W1001, such as W1010 (Mind, Brain, and Behavior), W2215 (Cognition
and the Brain), W2450 (Behavioral Neuroscience), W2460 (Drugs and Behavior), or
W2480 (Developing Brain). It will help ameliorate a serious shortage of advanced
seminars giving students opportunities to develop their oral and written presentation
skills.
It fulfills the following degree requirements:
• For Psychology Graduate Students, PSYC G4499 will apply toward the “two seriously
graded seminars” requirement of the Master’s degree.
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• For the Psychology major or concentration in the College and in G. S., for the
Psychology minor in Engineering, and for the Psychology Postbac Certificate, G4499
meets the Group II (Psychobiology and Neuroscience) distribution requirement.
• For the Neuroscience and Behavior joint major, G4499 will fulfill the 5th Psychology
requirement: “one advanced psychology seminar from a list approved by the Psychology
Department advisor to the program.”
• For non-majors in the College and GS, G4499 – by virtue of its numbering in the
4400's--will count as one term of the natural science requirement, provided that students
obtain the necessary permission and have taken the prerequisite psychology courses.
Graduate students, and students who are majoring in Psychology or in Neuroscience and
Behavior, and postbac certificate students will have priority over students who are taking
the course for the science requirement. For this reason, as well as because of the course
prerequisites, we anticipate the course will rarely be used for the science requirement.
• For the Psychology Postbac certificate, PSYC G4499 will fulfill the advanced seminar
requirement.
• For the Barnard Psychology major, PSYC G4499 will fulfill the senior seminar
requirement.
IV. Weekly outline of topics and readings [subject to revision]:
Required textbook: Meyer JS and Quenzer LF (2005): Psychopharmacology: Drugs, the
brain and behavior. Sinauer Associates, Inc., Sunderland, MA.
Week 1
Course introduction
-discussion of topics and course requirements
Week 2
Basic principles of neuropharmacology
-pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; drug discovery and evaluation;
animal models, preclinical and clinical drug testing;
READINGS:
Meyer and Quenzer: Chapter 1
Markou A, Chiamulera C, Geyer MA, Tricklebank M, Steckler T (2009)
Removing obstacles in neuroscience drug discovery: the future path for
animal models. Neuropsychopharmacology 34:74-89.
Nestler EJ, Hyman SE (2010) Animal models of neuropsychiatric
disorders. Nat Neurosci. 13:1161-9.
Week 3
Chemical signaling in the central nervous system
-neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, neurotrophic factors and hormones
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READINGS:
Meyer and Quenzer: Chapters 2-3
Week 4
Molecular targets for psychotropicdrug action
-neurotransmitter synthesis, receptors, receptor signaling, transporters,
regulation of gene expression; molecular research methods in
neuropharmacology.
READINGS:
Meyer and Quenzer: Chapters 4-7
Week 5
Exam
Week 6
Schizophrenia - neurochemical basis and pharmacotherapy
READINGS:
Meyer and Quenzer: Chapter 18
Ross CA, Margolis RL, Reading SA, Pletnikov M, Coyle JT (2006)
Neurobiology of schizophrenia. Neuron. 52:139-53.
Gray JA, Roth BL. (2007) The pipeline and future of drug development in
schizophrenia. Mol Psychiatry. 12(10):904-22.
Week 7
Affective disorders - neurochemical basis and pharmacotherapy
READINGS:
Meyer and Quenzer: Chapter 16
Krishnan V, Nestler EJ (2008) The molecular neurobiology of depression.
Nature 455:894-902.
Thase ME, Denko T. (2008) Pharmacotherapy of mood disorders. Annu
Rev Clin Psychol. 4:53-91.
Week 8
Journal article presentations/review session
-4 students will critically evaluate a research article on a selected topic
covered in weeks 6-7; every presentation will be followed by class
discussion.
Week 9
Substance Abuse and Addiction – Part 1
-alcohol, the opiates, marijuana, and cannabinoids
READINGS:
Meyer and Quenzer: Chapters 8-10 & 13
Week 10
Nestler EJ (2005) Is there a common molecular pathway for addiction?
Nat Neurosci. 8(11):1445-9.
Substance Abuse and Addiction – Part 2
-psychomotor stimulants, nicotine, caffeine, and hallucinogens
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READINGS:
Meyer and Quenzer: Chapters 11-12 & 14-15
Week 11
Journal article presentations/review session
-4 students will critically evaluate a research article on a selected topic
covered in weeks 9-10; every presentation will be followed by class
discussion.
Week 12
Anxiety and sleep disorders - neurochemical basis and
pharmacotherapy
READINGS:
Meyer and Quenzer: Chapter 17
Ravindran LN, Stein MB (2010) The pharmacologic treatment of anxiety
disorders: a review of progress. J Clin Psychiatry. 71:839-54.
Christmas D, Hood S, Nutt D (2008) Potential novel anxiolytic drugs.
Curr Pharm Des. 14:3534-46.
Week 13
Sex hormones and brain function: Implication of hormone
replacement therapy for the aging female and male brain
READINGS:
Sherwin BB. (2003) Estrogen and cognitive functioning in women.
Endocr Rev. 24(2):133-51.
Steiner M, Dunn E, Born L. (2003) Hormones and mood: from menarche
to menopause and beyond. J Affect Disord. 74(1):67-83.
Deecher D, Andree TH, Sloan D, Schechter LE. (2008) From menarche to
menopause: exploring the underlying biology of depression in women
experiencing hormonal changes. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 33(1):3-17.
Maia H Jr, Casoy J, Valente J. (2009) Testosterone replacement therapy in
the climacteric: benefits beyond sexuality. Gynecol Endocrinol. 25(1):1220.
Zitzmann M. (2006) Testosterone and the brain. Aging Male. 9(4):195-9.
Hijazi RA, Cunningham GR. (2005) Andropause: is androgen replacement
therapy indicated for the aging male? Annu Rev Med. 56:117-37.
Week 14
A future for epigenetic drugs in the pharmacotherapy of psychiatric
disorders
READINGS:
Tsankova N, Renthal W, Kumar A, Nestler EJ. (2007) Epigenetic
regulation in psychiatric disorders. Nat Rev Neurosci. 8(5):355-67.
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Grayson DR, Kundakovic M, Sharma RP. (2010) Is there a future for
histone deacetylase inhibitors in the pharmacotherapy of psychiatric
disorders? Mol Pharmacol. 77(2):126-35.
Week 15
Journal article presentations/review session
-4 students will critically evaluate a research article on a selected topic
covered in weeks 13-15; every presentation will be followed by class
discussion.
V. Course requirements and grading [subject to revision]:
Exam (to be given in Week 5):
A multiple-choice test will be given following the general part of the course (the first 4
sessions). This test will be designed to assess students’ understanding of basic concepts
of neuropharmacology presented in the class, and to ensure that students will be able to
follow more specific topics covered in the second part of the course.
Oral Presentation and Essay:
Students will be expected to give a presentation and write a paper on a single subject
chosen from a list of topics covered in the class. Three separate sessions will be devoted
to the student presentations (4 presentations/session), in which each student will be given
20 minutes to present followed by 5-10 min for questions and discussion. Presentations
should focus on one to two recently published basic or clinical research articles in
student’s area of interest, and should include: introduction to the research area, discussion
of methods, results and conclusions of each paper, as well as future directions. Students
not presenting will be expected to read the papers before coming to the class and to
participate in discussions following presentations. Throughout the course, students will
also be expected to participate in class discussions that will follow the overview lectures
given by the instructor. The 10-page term paper will be due at the end of the course, and
should be written in the style of a review article that summarizes the current state of
knowledge and research in the student's area of interest.
Course grades will be based on: multiple-choice exam (20%), class attendance and
participation (25%), oral presentation (25%), and the term paper (30%).
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