Addiction Research Unit/University at Buffalo: Advaced Issues in Addiction Syllabus

Advanced Topics in Addiction
Psychology 485 Spring 2008 Term Department of Psychology State University of New York at Buffalo http://AddictionScience.net/DrugIssues.html http://AddictionScience.net/ (gateway)	Michael A. Bozarth, Ph.D. B-77 Park Hall, North Campus Office hours: Wednesday 13:00-15:30 h extended most T/R 15:30 - 16:30 h telephone: 645-3650 ext. 677 e-mail: bozarth@buffalo.edu

Online Course Materials

Click here to view online course material from PSY 451 (background for PSY 485).

Click here to view the orientation material for this course online.

Course Description

This course is designed as a continuation of PSY 451 (Drug Addiction) and addresses topics not covered in that course. The material is thematically organized exploring various advanced topics related to addiction (see below). Students who have completed PSY 451 are best prepared for this course, but highly motivated students that can master the essential concepts during the first two weeks of class may also perform satisfactorily ("C-level" performance). Because this course deals with complex issues and with cases (e.g., drugs, behaviors) that may or may not represent true addiction, it is essential that participating students have a good understanding of the nature of addiction to prototypic addictive drugs. Concurrent enrollment in PSY 451 is helpful but not sufficient preparation for this course (Topics covered late in PSY 451 must be mastered very early for full participation in this course.).

Prerequisites

Introductory Psychology, Research Methods, Biopsychology or equivalent; or by permission of the instructor. Previous enrollment in PSY 451 (Drug Addiction) is highly recommended and some background in biology or physiology is very helpful. Addiction involves the actions of drugs on brain systems, and students lacking appropriate background in the Life Sciences should not expect to do well in this course. Highly motivated students who have not previously taken PSY 451 may still enroll but must master the essential elements of that course through reading and self-study during the first few weeks of class.

Instructional Format

This course follows a seminar structure with group discussions based on the assigned readings and on additional material selected by students. Video tapes and other assignments may supplement the regular course material. Laboratory demonstrations may also be used. Some material is available only on the Internet and students are required to have an active computer account. A ListServ-based discussion group is used to address questions regarding the reading assignments, lecture material, discussions and exams, and all students are required to participate in the online discussion group (i.e., http://wings.buffalo.edu/aru/ARUdiscussion.htm). Enrolled students will be automatically subscribed at the end of the second week of class.

Click here to post to the list.

Click here to view the list archives.

Information for new users.

Reading Material

Required reading material for this course is on deposit at the Jacobs Copy Center (see Online Course Materials). This material is not available for loan from the instructor. Some additional material may be found on the AddictionScience.net web site listed above. Other reading assignments are made from the professional literature and are placed on reserve in the undergraduate library. Reading assignments are made 'in class' and may be posted to the Discussion List.

Course Grade

Grades are determined by performance on two examinations (pass/fail), an annotated bibliography (30%), and by class participation (70%). To factor in the examination components of the course, composite scores from the annotated bibliography and class participation are multiplied by exam values ranging from 1 to 0 (see below) to obtain the final course grade. Numeric grades are then converted to letter grades using standard 10% intervals (e.g., 90% = A-, 80% = B-, 70% = C-).

Grade Components
Written Examination	computed as: scores 80% and higher = 1, scores 70-79% = 0.75, and scores < 70% = 0 (course failure) multiplied by the composite score from the other course components pass/fail (calculation factor of "1" or "0")
Recitation
Annotated Bibliography	30%
Class Participation	70%

Students must complete two examinations during the semester. The first examination (written component) covers basic concepts in drug addiction and tests mastery of the essential elements covered in PSY 451. The second examination (oral recitation) specifically tests material from this seminar, with an emphasis on general concepts rather than detailed knowledge. Background material covered in PSY 451 is tested on 25 January using a multiple choice format; for students who have not taken PSY 451, the relevant material has been deposited at the Jacobs Copy Center. Students are permitted to retake this exam during regular office hours through February 28 to improve their scores. Because this material was covered in a semester long course that students should have taken before enrollment in this advanced course, only very limited class time will be devoted to this material (i.e., students must master this material largely on their own). The new material specific to this seminar is tested throughout the semester until the last week of the seminar. Students are permitted to retake the oral examinations within the time period allotted (through 26 April). Oral examinations may be given individually and/or in groups and may span more than one session. Students must be available during regular office hours for their recitation. Note that although the examinations are nominally pass/fail, there is an intermediate 'score" obtainable by achieving 70% to 79% on the written exam. This would limit the student's highest obtainable course grade to a "C" (e.g., if the student passed the second exam and obtained a perfect score on the other course components, the resulting course grade would be a "C") and very likely result in course failure.

Class attendance and participation in group discussions constitute an important component of the course. The mandatory attendance period begins 05 February and continues through 17 April. Students are permitted to miss two class periods during this time, after which each missed class period retroactive to the first two missed classes results in an attendance grade reduction of 5% (i.e., the third missed class period lowers the attendance grade to 85% -- the letter grade equivalent of a "B"). There are no excused absences for missed class periods -- you must be present to receive credit for participation. Students with commitments that conflict with the class meeting times and that might miss more than two of the mandatory attendance periods should withdraw from the course. Students are encouraged to attend all of the class periods, but only the 20 class meetings during the mandatory attendance period are used for calculating the attendance grade.

Annotated bibliographies are compiled from professional papers related to the subtopics covered by the course. Students conduct library research weekly, selecting and reading a paper for discussion during the Thursday class periods. Near the end of the semester, 15 to 20 annotated bibliographies are submitted for course credit. Samples of the annotated bibliographies can be submitted any time up to 3 April for feedback from the instructor. Students are permitted to revise their bibliographies to improve their grade for this component of the course. Click here for a sample annotated bibliography.

Important Dates
24 January Examination #1	17 April Annotated Bibliographies Due	24 April Examination #2 finishes
Mandatory Attendance Period: 05 February through 17 April

Attendance

Group discussions are an important component of this course, and class attendance and participation constitute a significant part of the course grade (see above). Students are responsible for all material discussed in class and for material contained in the assigned readings. Students must obtain notes from fellow students for missed class periods -- there are no standard notes available from the instructor.

Other Policies

Changing classroom dynamics necessitate posting some explicit expectations for student behavior. Click here to read principles of student conduct in effect for this course that supplement those outlined in the University at Buffalo Undergraduate Catalog. Continued enrollment in this course presumes the student has read and will adhere to these principles.

Important Notice: Students with disabilities (physical or psychological) that require special consideration should notify the instructor and the Office of Disability Services (25 Capen Hall, 645-2608) during the first two weeks of class. Various support services may be available.

Copyright Notice

The material contained on this web site and the material distributed for class are protected by U.S. and International copyright laws. Students are expressly prohibited from making audio or video recordings of lecture material and discussions and from compilation and distribution of class material except for their own private use.

Seminar Topics
Theme¹	Subtopics²	Date³
A Brief Synopsis of Addiction to Prototypic Addictive Drugs (Chpts. 1-10)	Concept of addiction Psychological processes Biological mechanisms	15 Jan.
Factors Modulating Addiction (Chpt. 11)	Psychological stress Thrill-seeking personality Reward-deficiency syndrome	05 Feb.
A Psychobiological Model of Addiction (Chpt. 12)	Biobehavioral reciprocity Hedonic allostasis Re-assembling multiple mechanisms Integration of psychosocial factors with biological mechanisms Integrative psychobiological model	12 Feb.
Beyond the Prototypical Addictive Drugs (other illicit drug use) (Chpt. 13)	Barbiturates LSD & other hallucinogens Marijuana MDMA (Ecstasy)	19 Feb.
Addiction to Commonly Used Substances? (licit drugs) (Chpt. 14)	Caffeine Nicotine OTC drugs	26 Feb.
Non-Chemical Addictions? (Chpt. 15)	Internet related including "day trading" and "cybersexual addiction" Pathological gambling Eating disorders	04 Mar.
Diagnosis & Treatment Considerations (Chpt. 16)	DSM-IV ICD-10 Addiction Severity Index 12-step programs Cue extinction procedures Cognitive-behavioral therapy	18 Mar.
Pharmacological Approaches to Treating Addiction (Chpt. 17)	Methadone maintenance Rapid detoxification Antidepressant medications Immunological approaches Orthomolecular psychiatry	25 Mar.
Harm-Reduction Strategies (Chpt. 18)	Needle exchange programs The "British System" "Needle Parks" Drug information programs	01 Apr.
Addicted to Addictions (Chpt. 19)	Politics of addiction Responsibility of government agencies Responsibility of public news media	08 Apr.
Addiction in the “Real World” (Chpt. 20)	Differences between academic study and clinical treatment of addiction Staging in prevention and treatment effectiveness Recreational drug use	15 Apr.
1: Assigned readings are available at the Jacobs Hall Copy Center for each main topic. Additional readings may also be on reserve at the Undergraduate Library and/or available online. 2: Pick one or more subtopics from each theme for inclusion in your annotated bibliography. Be prepared to discuss these papers weekly during class. Submit samples of your work for feedback throughout the semester. 3: Tentative starting dates may change during the semester. Tuesdays are generally used for structured discussion of the assigned chapter material, and Thursdays are generally used for open discussion and inclusion of outside material.