Undergraduate - UnitPHA3032 - Neuro and endocrine pharmacology

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Science
Offered	Clayton Second semester 2014 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Dr Richard Loiacono and Dr Bradley Broughton

Synopsis

This unit provides an integrated understanding of how drugs affect neuronal and endocrine function. Four major areas are covered: major neurotransmitters within the brain, reproductive endocrinology, metabolism and disorders of pancreatic and thyroid function, mood and pain, and, neurodegenerative disorders. The focus is on mechanisms of action, use and side effects of drugs affecting a range of neuronal and endocrine functions and includes topics such as drugs used in anaesthesia and sedation, anxiety, depression, epilepsy, schizophrenia and psychoses, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, reproduction and contraception, diabetes, thyroid function and metabolism and calcium homeostasis.

Outcomes

On completion of this unit students will be able to:

Apply knowledge of central neurotransmitter and endocrine systems to predict the effects of drugs;

Integrate and reconstruct knowledge underlying the cellular mechanisms of neuro- and endocrine pharmacology to predict outcomes in the whole animal;

Present, analyse and interpret data from a range of experiment types and discuss this in the context of current scientific literature;

Execute experiments in neuropharmacology and endocrine pharmacology to present, analyse and report the data obtained;

Source, integrate and critically evaluate the scientific literature to address a defined pharmacological problem relating to neuro- or endocrine pharmacology.

Assessment

Examination (two hours): 50%
Written assignment: 15%
Practicals and in-class exercises: 20%
Tests: 15%
A pass in the final examination and in the practicals and in-class exercises and the written assignment must be obtained to pass the unit.