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Title Translational Neuroscience of Addiction
Course number 2660
Programme Neurovetenskap
Language English
Credits 2.0
Date 2019-05-06 -- 2019-05-17
Responsible KI department Institutionen för klinisk neurovetenskap
Specific entry requirements Registered doctoral student with basic knowledge in psychiatry/psychology
Purpose of the course Addiction ranks high in the global burden of diseases and is the most common co-morbid diagnosis not only within psychiatry but also among a range of somatic diagnostics and hence an important subject area for any student doing research within psychiatry, psychology and in general medicine. The course intends for the student to gain familiarity with terminologies, challenges in the field, research methods utilised and update knowledge on current treatment, all of which are relevant skills to gain to understand the disease of addiction and skills which can be applied to understand and study other psychiatric disorders.
Intended learning outcomes At the end of the course, the students will have mastered, the following intended learning outcomes:
a) The principles of neurobiology of addiction
b) The ethology of addiction from a psychosocial and biomedical perspective.
c) The mechanism of action of legal and illegal drugs on the brain and behaviour
d) Identify and critically discuss the different pre-clinical and clinical models of addiction
e) Knowledge on current and evidence based pharmacological and psychological treatments in addiction.
Contents of the course A translational neuroscience of addiction will cover the aetiology and mechanisms underlying addiction from a psychological and medical perspective. To cover the broad perspective, the course will also utilise a broad range of research methods i.e., from epidemiology to randomised controlled trials to understand the complex disease of addiction. Keeping neurobiology as a focus, the course will also cover the mechanism underlying risk factors in developing addiction and those informing recovery and treatment.
Teaching and learning activities The students will achieve the intended learning outcomes of this course via a combination of lectures, discussing research articles, group debate on 1-2 topics, designing a study and a final examination.

There will also be a visit to the human experimental laboratory at the clinic. The goal of the laboratory visit is to learn how drug related behaviours are studied in a laboratory setting. Students will then have the opportunity to design and write a short ""human laboratory study"" project proposal, relevant to the field and critically evaluate the methods proposed and outcome measures.
Compulsory elements Attendance to lectures and all forms of group work, including the laboratory session are mandatory. The final examination will be in-class and is compulsory. In the event of absence, there will be an assigned essay that would need to be handed in. Details of essays will be provided at the course.
Examination A written exam on the last day of the course, the written description of the experimental study and the contribution to the debate will collectively assess if the students have mastered the intended learning outcomes of the course.
Literature and other teaching material Specific reading list for each lecture will be provided at the start of the course. A few select core recommended papers are provided below:

1) Volkow, N.D., Koob, G.F., & McLellan, AT. (2016). Neurobiologic advances from the brain disease model of addiction. New England Journal of Medicine, 374, 363-371.
2) Advances in Animal Models of Relapse for Addiction Research. Weiss F. Kuhn CM, Koob GF, editors.
SourceAdvances in the Neuroscience of Addiction. 2nd edition. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press; 2010. Chapter 1.
Frontiers in Neuroscience.
3) Heyman, G.M. (2009). Addiction: A Disorder of Choice. Cambridge MS: Harvard University Press.
4) Volkow, N., & Koob, G. (2015). Brain disease model of addiction: why is it so controversial? Lancet Psychiatry, 2, 677-679.
Number of students 15 - 20
Selection of students Selection will be based on 1) the relevance of the course syllabus for the applicant's doctoral project (according to written motivation), 2) date for registration as a doctoral student (priority given to earlier registration date)
More information The course will be held at Norra stationsgatan 69, 6th floor from 8:30-16:00. The teachers will be experts from KI, national experts from other universities in Sweden and 1-2 international experts (the U.S and Netherlands).
Additional course leader Three persons will be responsible for the course. In addition to Nitya Jayaram-Lindström, it will be Anders Hammarberg and Joar Guterstam.
Latest course evaluation Not available
Course responsible Nitya Jayaram
Institutionen för klinisk neurovetenskap
072-2483092
Nitya.Jayaram@ki.se
Contact person -