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Psychopharmacology
How drugs that act on the brain change mood, thinking and behavior — and how the body handles those drugs along the way.
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Biomedical addiction
Substance use disorder, the reward circuit and dopamine learning, why some people are more vulnerable, how chronic use changes the brain, and how drugs are used to treat addiction.
- Why it matters
- Addiction is where pharmacokinetics (speed of onset), pharmacodynamics (receptor adaptation) and the dopamine system meet — and where the limits of a purely biological model show.
- You'll be able to
- Explain how a drug hijacks reward learning, why dependence differs from addiction, why relapse happens, and how each treatment strategy works.
Substance use disorder: dependence is not addiction
Defines substance use disorder (SUD), its severity levels and hallmarks, and separates physical dependence (tolerance and withdrawal) from the disorder itself.
- Connects to Acute and chronic effects: up- and down-regulation · Pharmacodynamics
- Connects to The course lens: biopsychosocial, and no 'chemical imbalance' · Fundamentals and course themes
- Unlocks The reward circuit: reinforcement and dopamine
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