| Unit name | Pharmacology of the Nervous System |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHPH20011 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Rob Thatcher |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
Pharmacology 1A or Mechanisms of Drug Action |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience |
| Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
This unit addresses the basic mechanisms of drug action, with a primary focus on Neuropharmacology. Major topics include: drug-receptor interactions; the pharmacological investigation of ion channels; central synaptic transmission; the pharmacology of the major classes of drugs affecting normal and abnormal central nervous function.
Aims:
At the end of this unit students should be able to explain the basic principles of pharmacodynamics (how drugs act on the body), how the structural features required for drug-receptor interactions can be determined, understand how drugs modify the actions of major families of ion channels, describe the key features of neurotransmission at the skeletal neuromuscular junction and the effect of drugs on this system, describe the major neurotransmitter pathways in the central nervous system and their modification by drugs, understand the concepts of tolerance and physical dependence, explain how drugs are used to treat a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders.
At the end of the unit, students should be able to:
Attendance and engagement
If you fail to attend and/or engage with components of a unit, the matter may be referred to the Faculty Board of Examiners. If the Faculty Board decides that your attendance or engagement has not been sufficient to satisfy the unit’s Intended Learning Outcomes, they may decide that you are unable to progress to the next year of study. If this is the case, you will be required to complete reassessment work to a satisfactory standard. This may include additional written work (to be completed during the summer) or a requirement to repeat part or all of the unit in a supplementary year.
Coursework 30%
End of unit assessment 70%
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. PHPH20011).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
