Unit ELEMENTS OF PHARMACOLOGY FOR PSYCHOLOGISTS

Course
Assessment of individual functioning in clinical and health psychology
Study-unit Code
A001620
Curriculum
Curriculum i
Teacher
Oxana Bereshchenko
Teachers
  • Oxana Bereshchenko
Hours
  • 36 ore - Oxana Bereshchenko
CFU
6
Course Regulation
Coorte 2023
Offered
2024/25
Learning activities
Affine/integrativa
Area
Attività formative affini o integrative
Academic discipline
BIO/14
Type of study-unit
Obbligatorio (Required)
Type of learning activities
Attività formativa monodisciplinare
Language of instruction
Italian
Contents
General principles of drug action:
Pharmacokinetics
Pharmacodynamics
Main classes of drugs that act on the central nervous system.
Reference texts
Meyer. Psychopharmacology. EDI_ERMES
Karen Whalen. The basics of pharmacology. Zanichelli
Carlo Faravelli. Farmacologia per I psicologi. Il Mulino
Stephen M Stahl. Essential Psycopharmacology. EDI_ERMES
Educational objectives
The lessons are aimed at studying the psychotropic drugs and providing the psychologist-psychotherapist with tools that can be of help in managing the patient.¿The course provides the student with an overview of the psychoactive molecules, from the drugs used in the treatment of the main psychological-psychiatric disorders, to the substances of abuse including those used for recreative purposes and as innovative therapies.
Prerequisites
The course makes numerous connections with clinical psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience and neuroanatomy, so good basic knowledge related to Physiology, Neurophysiology and Psychiatry is needed.
Teaching methods
36 hours of frontal lectures with 6 hours of theoretical training
Other information
Attendance of the lectures is not obligatory but highly recommended as it allow more detailed discussion on the arguments treated in the program.
Learning verification modality
Written test. One open question and 24 Multiple choice questions.¿ Five possible answers of which only one is correct.¿ Exam duration 30 minutes.¿ The evaluation criteria will be based on the understanding of the topics covered, on the acquisition of the proposed concepts and methodologies and on the ability to apply them independently and consciously.


Students with DSA/disabilities are invited to contact the teacher before the exam. For information on support services for students with disabilities and/or DSA visit the page http://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa.

International students will have a possibility to do the test in English.
Extended program
Principles of drug action, pharmacokinetics and toxicity.¿Definition of psychopharmacology.¿Elementary bases of the functioning of psychotropic drugs.¿Main classes of drugs of the central nervous system.¿Drugs depressing the central nervous system¿- barbiturates;¿- antiepileptics;¿- benzodiazepines;¿¿Drugs for the treatment of mood disorders, major depression and bipolar disorder.¿Antipsychotic drugs.¿Psychostimulant substances.¿Analgesic drugs.¿Psychedelic substances.¿Antiepileptic drugs.¿Pharmacology for Psychologists: limits and perspectives.¿What can we expect from drugs, what we can't expect from drugs.¿The main bases are given for each class of drugs in relation to:¿mechanism of action; therapeutic indications; interactions; adverse effects;¿how they help or interfere in the work of the psychologist.
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