MONASH UNIVERSITY FACULTY HANDBOOKS
Medicine Handbook 1996
Published by Monash University
Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Introduction
to pharmacology and neurosciences
Dr A A Beveridge (Pharmacology) and Professor M E Holman (Physiology)
Objectives At the end of this unit students should be able to review the
general arrangement of the peripheral nervous system including its afferent and
efferent connections; understand the principles of sensory transduction;
understand the principles of synaptic transmission; understand the way in which
the automatic nervous system controls the activity of smooth muscle and cardiac
muscle; have a knowledge of the receptors involved in each of the steps of
neurotransmission from the central nervous system to individual effector organs
and tissues; predict the effects and possible side effects of some commonly
used drugs that interact with the peripheral nervous system.
Synopsis Two new disciplines, neurosciences and pharmacology, which are
among the most rapidly expanding areas in medicine, are introduced. Combining
these disciplines is useful as they relate closely with each other, and a good
basic knowledge of neurosciences and pharmacology is essential for students to
understand material taught subsequently (eg cardiovascular and respiratory
medicine). (1) The central and peripheral nervous system with emphasis on the
innervation of smooth and cardiac muscle (autonomic nervous system), (2) the
principles of pharmacology; and (3) the effects of drugs which modulate
peripheral neurotransmission by either selective or non-selective action.
Assessment Examination (2 hrs): 95% + MCQ, short essay questions,
practicals: 5%
Preliminary reading
- Levine R R Pharmacology: Drug actions and reactions 3rd edn, Little
Brown, 1983
Prescribed texts
- Berne R M and Levy M N Physiology 3rd edn, Mosby, 1993
- or
- Katzung B G Basic and clinical pharmacology 6th edn, Appleton and
Lange, 1994
Reference books
- Gilman A G and others Goodman and Gilman's `The pharmacological basis of
therapeutics' 8th edn, Pergamon, 1990
- or
- Speight T M (ed.) Avery's `Drug treatment': Principles and practice of
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics 3rd edn, Adis Press, 1987
- or
- Nicholls J G and others From neurone to brain 3rd edn, Sinauer,
1992
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