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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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Brain and synapse

The regions drugs reach, how a neuron signals, and the synapse — the small gap where almost every psychoactive drug does its work.

Why it matters: The synapse is the anchor diagram for the rest of the course. Every drug mechanism is a change to one step of it.
You'll be able to: Walk through a synapse from action potential to signal termination, and point to the step a given drug changes.

Where drugs act: the brain's regions

Gives you the geography: which region controls breathing, movement, reward and mood — so a drug's effects map to places.

Connects to Dopamine: receptor families, clearance and pathways · Neurotransmitters and receptors
Connects to Primary effects and side effects · Fundamentals and course themes
Unlocks The neuron and the action potential
Unlocks Dopamine: receptor families, clearance and pathways · Neurotransmitters and receptors

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