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Drug Addiction |
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Psychology 451 |
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Click here to view online course materials including a detailed listing of learning units and modules. (Note that only the material through Unit 5a is covered in this course, with the balance of topics addressed in the second semester continuation under Advanced Topics in Addiction.)
The course explores various topics in the study of drug addiction. The primary emphasis is on psychological and biological theories of drug addiction, with only minor attention given to demographic data, clinical diagnosis, and treatment. Underlying factors that are common in cases of addiction to different classes of drugs are identified. Psychomotor stimulant (e.g., amphetamine, cocaine, methamphetamine) and opiate (e.g., heroin, morphine, codeine) drugs figure prominently in an examination of the biobehavioral properties of addictive drugs. Much of the course relates the important mood-elevating effects of these drugs to their biological actions. Other factors that may contribute to drug addiction are also examined. The main course objective is to provide a unifying model for understanding the fundamental aspects of addiction.
Introductory Psychology, Research Methods, Biopsychology, or by permission of the instructor. Some background in biology or physiology is highly recommended. Students who have previously taken an introductory level survey course examining illicit drugs are best prepared. Addiction involves the actions of drugs on brain systems, and students lacking appropriate background in the Biological Sciences should not expect to do well in this course.
This is a lecture course with some group discussions based
on the assigned readings. Video tapes and other assignments supplement the
regular course material. 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.
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Click here to post to the list. |
Click here to view the list archives. |
Required reading material for this course will be on deposit
at a local photocopy center (see Online Course Materials).
This material is not available from the instructor. Some additional material
may be found on the AddictionScience.net
web site. Other reading assignments are made from the professional literature
and are placed on reserve in the undergraduate library.
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Reading assignments should be completed BEFORE the scheduled lecture period. |
Grades are determined by performance on three term exams that are scheduled during regular class periods. Each term exam is weighted equally for determining the course grade. Make-up exams are allowed only with permission of the instructor prior to the scheduled test date. Extraordinary circumstances, along with the appropriate documentation, should be brought to the attention of the instructor for special consideration.
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Exam Schedule |
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Class attendance and discussions constitute an important part of this course. 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, and there are no private tutorials for this course. The instructor is available throughout the semester to help students individually and in small groups with the more difficult material during regular and extended office hours (see above).
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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. |
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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. |
The material contained on this web site and the material
distributed for class are protected by
Case Studies
Definitions/Diagnostic Criteria
Demographic & Epidemiological Considerations
Principles of Drug Action
Pharmacokinetics
Pharmacodynamics
Neuropharmacology
Drug Classification
Theories of Addiction
Psychodynamic
Sociological
Tension Reduction
Physical Dependence
Reinforcement
Derived Process
Methods of Studying Drug Reinforcement
Preclinical Measures (IVSA, CPP,
DD, BSR)
Clinical Measures (subjective effects, self-administration)
Addiction as a Motivational Process
Neurobiology of Brain Reward Systems
Prototypic Addictive Drugs
Psychomotor Stimulants
Opioids
Other Licit and Illicit Drugs
Other Considerations
Neuroadaptive Effects
Stress Effects on Initiation and Relapse to Addiction
Individual Differences in Susceptibility to Addiction
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