Key Information
About the content
This is a course about addiction to drugs and other behaviors. It will describe what happens in the brain and how this information helps us deal with and overcome addiction. It will also discuss other topics such as government policy and our vulnerability to take drugs.
Syllabus
- Week 1 - The Background and Overview of Drug Use
Upon completion of this module, learners will be able to: define drug abuse, addiction, and dependence; describe what the behavior of addiction looks like; review some of the history of drug use, compare the statistics of addiction, recognize the ten classes o... - Week 2 - Drugs & How the Brain Works
Upon completion of this module, learners will be able to: Recognize the processes that control the fate of drugs in the body; identify how drugs are detected in the body; examine how the brain works by employing neurotransmission; and explore the role of neuro... - Week 3 - Classes of Drugs, Part 1
Upon completion of this module, learners will be able to: Identify what a receptor is; draw a connection between chemical neurotransmitters and drugs; recognize why addicts take drugs; and describe what alcohol, nicotine, THC, opiates, sedatives, hallucinogens... - Week 4 - Classes of Drugs, Part 2 & Animal Models
Upon completion of this module, learners will be able to: Become familiar with the last three classes of abusable drugs: the inhalants, caffeine and others; review the 10 classes of abused and addicting drugs, their effects, and toxicities; recognize the impor... - Week 5 - Neurotransmission & Brain Imaging
Upon completion of this module, learners will be able to: Recognize dopamine as a major neurotransmitter, specifically how it is involved in both drug and natural rewards; associate low levels of D2 dopamine receptors in the brain with greater vulnerability to... - Week 6 - Vulnerability: Drug Use, Abuse, & Prevention
Upon completion of this module, learners will be able to: Define and identify the different types of risk factors; explain how co-morbid (coexisting) medical/mental problems can lead to self-medication and drug abuse; identify the most important risk factors a... - Week 7 - Treatment, Policy, & Decriminalization
Upon completion of this module, learners will be able to: See the impact of stigma on drug users; describe the kinds of treatment that are available; differentiate between legalization and decriminalization, and its impact on society; and recognize the impact ...
Instructors
Michael Kuhar, Ph.D.
Professor
Yerkes/Emory Pharmacology and Neuroscience
Content Designer
Platform
Coursera is a digital company offering massive open online course founded by computer teachers Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller Stanford University, located in Mountain View, California.
Coursera works with top universities and organizations to make some of their courses available online, and offers courses in many subjects, including: physics, engineering, humanities, medicine, biology, social sciences, mathematics, business, computer science, digital marketing, data science, and other subjects.
