Drugs and Human Behavior, Tibor Palfai and Henry Jankiewicz.
Brown and Benchmark, 1997. ISBN: 0697127133
Introduction:
This course content introduces students in rehabilitation and community health settings to an understanding of the
physiology and neurobiology of psychoactive drugs and their relationship to human behavior in the context of
normal and abnormal functioning. The course content will cover theories, studies, disorders and drug treatments
of various disorders that caregivers, educators, managers and administrators are likely to encounter when providing
services in community settings. Uses and abuses of prescription and non-prescription drugs encountered in
community work will also be discussed in this course.
Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:
Recognize hallmark human behaviors associated with various types of drug addictions
Describe various types of mood disorders, their symptoms, and the drug treatments for these disorders.
Discuss the process of drug administration, absorption and distribution at the cellular level.
Describe the side effects of drugs and the dosage as related to nonspecific factors such as organism variables.
Identify components of physiology and anatomy of drug effects beginning with the nerve cell and its
relationship to the spinal cord, brain and peripheral nervous system.
Describe classifications of various types of drugs, their side effects, and the clinical applications of the drugs.
This course is divided into four Units of Study.
Unit One: Psychopharmacology, History of Psychoactive Drug Use and Principles of Drug Action
Unit Two: Neurobiology – Drug Classifications
Unit Three: Mood Disorders and Drug Treatments
Unit Four: Use and Abuse of Various Drugs
Fulfillment of assignments in Weeks One through Four will constitute the Midterm requirement in this course.
Fulfillments of Units One, Two, Three, and Four will constitute the requirement for the Final exam and completions
of this course.
Specific details for reading assignments and weekly homework are given in the Readings and Assignments sections
of this virtual classroom, and may not be available for public view without an enrollment password issued by
Canyon College.
Unit One
Suggested Readings for Unit One Assignment
Chapters 1 – 8
Due at the end of Week Two:
Prepare and submit a 4-page, typed and double-spaced paper on the following topic related to the first 8 chapters
of the text:
Choose a drug and describe in detail the drug action at the cellular level and the route of the drug after
administration, including absorption, distribution and eventual drug fate. Include explanations of the effects of the
drug on various organs of the body, such as the kidneys and liver.
Unit Two
Suggested Readings for Unit Two Assignments
Chapters 9 – 17
Due at the end of Week Four:
Prepare and submit a 3-page, typed and double-spaced paper on the following topic related to chapters 9 – 13:
Explain the relationship of the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nervous system relative to drug action. Define and
describe at least four neurotransmitters, their function at the cellular level, their synthesis from various amino acids
(include foods containing the amino acids), their effects on the body and drugs which act as agonists or antagonists
to the neurotransmitters.
Prepare and submit a 3-page, typed and double-spaced paper on the following topic related to chapters 14 – 17:
Define and describe several anxiety disorders and their drug treatments. Include discussion and description of the
physiological basis of anxiety and the resulting behaviors. Discuss the pharmacological effects of alcohol, the
metabolism process, and adverse side effects, such as FAS and addiction.
Unit Three
Suggested Readings for Unit Three Assignments
Chapters 18 – 24
Due at the end of Week Six:
Prepare and submit a 3-page, typed and double-spaced paper on the following topic:
Choose two mood disorders and describe their etiology, classification, history, descriptive behaviors and treatment
with clinical drug application. Describe in detail the pharmacokinetics of the drugs and their pharmacological
effects and side effects.
Prepare and submit a 2-page, typed and double-spaced paper on the following topic:
Choose three drugs that have been “used and abused,” such as cocaine, amphetamines, nicotine, etc. and describe
their pharmacokinetics, pharmacological effects, clinical applications, behavioral abuse and side effects.
Unit Four
Suggested Readings for Unit Three Assignments
Chapters 25 – 30 and a recent journal article
Due at the end of Week Eight:
Prepare and submit a 5-page, typed and double-spaced paper on the following topic:
Define and describe several of the Opioid analgesics, or hallucinogens, their chemical description, side effects,
clinical applications, and therapeutic treatments for addiction. Include information in this paper from a recent
journal article in a reputable journal, such as a medical or psychology journal.
The article may relate to drug addiction, behaviors and recent findings.
