Nursing 445A
The Brain's Reward System

Course Introduction

"The Brain's Reward System" provides an overview of the clinical meaning of drug addiction. It engages you in activities to increase your understanding of core concepts related to the structures and processes of addiction in the brain. In addition to presenting general concepts, such as the anatomy of neurons and neural communication, the course focuses on elements of the "Brain's Reward System" or BRS—a group of brain structures that play a major role in addictive behavior.

This is the first in a two-course series leading to the certificate in Advanced Research in Addiction and the Brain from the University of Washington. The second course, CM 445B, Mechanisms and Issues of Addiction, completes the program. Each course in the certificate is self-contained, but participants garner the most benefits by participating in both courses in the sequence.

In addition to the content knowledge featured in the program, the course work offers participants opportunities to develop a professional network to support their learning in the science of addiction. This professional network, consisting of classmates, instructors, guest presenters, and other resource people, will develop as the program progresses.

Course Objectives

After completing this course, you will be able to

• locate, name, and describe the basic elements of the Brain's Reward System and discuss how these elements are connected;
• explain the role of the Brain's Reward System in the onset of addiction;
• build a customized list of online resources to keep current on the research connected to the Brain's Reward System; and
• articulate to other professionals the role of the Brain's Reward System in addiction.

Course Materials

Textbooks

Both courses in the certificate sequence make use of these same textbooks.

1. Julien, Robert M. 2007. A Primer of Drug Action: A Concise, Nontechnical Guide to the Actions, Uses, and Side Effects of Psychoactive Drugs. 11th ed. New York: Worth Publishers.
   ISBN1429206799

   A Primer of Drug Action is a text on neuropsychopharmacology written for students with little medical or biological background. It is written at the level of advanced lay science publications like Scientific American and is suitable for counselors, psychologists, psychotherapists, teachers, and others who wish to gain information on how psychoactive drugs act on brain mechanisms to produce their effects, what side or toxic effects they produce, and how they are used clinically. It is used in various undergraduate psychology courses on drugs and behavior.

   This textbook receives continuing acceptance as a reliable, nontechnical source of drug information. While it covers all classes of drugs acting on the brain, its coverage of drugs of abuse is particularly good, especially those sections on alcohol, nicotine, and tetrahydrocannabinol (marijuana). In addition to these chapters, an additional chapter entitled "Topics in Substance Use Disorders" is useful in this first course.

2. Levinthal, Charles F. 2007. Drugs, Behavior, and Modern Society. 5th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
   ISBN 0205483291

   As has been the case since the first edition in 1996, this text focuses on the basic facts and major issues concerning drug-taking behavior, in a straightforward, comprehensive, and "reader-friendly" manner. It covers the range of chemical substances that can affect human minds and bodies, and discusses the challenges these substances bring to daily lives.

   Drugs, Behavior, and Modern Society is particularly notable for the attention given to two aspects of drug-taking behavior often underreported in other texts—steroid abuse and inhalant abuse. The text also highlights the impact of dietary supplements on the current drug scene; the impact of "club drugs" on contemporary drug-taking behavior; and the recent increase in the abuse of prescription pain-relief medications such as OxyContin.

Online Reading

Some lessons will include complete articles available either in the lesson as Adobe Acrobat .pdf documents, or online from professional Web sites.

Technology

In order to participate in this course, you will need to be able to:

• Send and receive electronic mail.
• Access the World Wide Web using either Internet Explorer or Netscape Web browsers of version 5.0 or higher.
• Use the Catalyst electronic discussion and quiz tools.
• Read an Adobe Acrobat .pdf file.

If you have questions about how to set up your computer or software in order to participate, e-mail UW Online Technical Support at dltechsupp@extn.washington.edu. Please indicate the course you are taking. You may also call (206) 543-2320 or (800) 543-2320; fax (206) 543-0887; or call (206) 543-0898 (TTY) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Information about how to use the electronic discussion forum and the online quiz tool is available from the Catalyst home page. If you encounter difficulty using any of these tools, please e-mail UW Online Technical Support at dltechsupp@extn.washington.edu.

Course Organization

This course includes an introduction, nine lessons organized into three modules, a final wrap-up discussion, and several course activities, both graded and non-graded. Each lesson features input from course developers and instructors on how to best interact with the materials you encounter and insights to help your understanding.

Module One: Overview of Addiction and the Nervous System
	Lesson One: Addiction
	Lesson Two: Neurons and Glial Cells
Module Two: Neural Communication
	Lesson Three: Electrical Signaling by Neurons
	Lesson Four: Neuotransmission
Module Three: The Brain's Reward System
	Lesson Five: Definitions and Background
	Lesson Six: Neurotransmitters in the Reward System—Dopamine and GABA
	Lesson Seven: Neurotransmitters in the Reward System: Glutamate and Reward Circuitry
	Lesson Eight: Drugs and the Reward System
	Lesson Nine: Prevention Pays
Post-Course Reflections

Course Activities

Before you begin the lessons, please be sure you have read about and completed the First Week Activities, including posting your biography.

Each of the lessons includes the following activities:

• assigned reading
• a Web Site Review
• a quiz
• an assignment that includes an electronic discussion
• practice exercises, guiding questions, and an e-Notebook

Assigned Reading

In each lesson, you will be asked to read that lesson's online narrative and selected sections of the textbook. Some lessons also have accompanying print or electronic articles. As you read, please keep in mind the key terms provided in each lesson. This course is rich in terminology. Do not feel compelled to memorize all the terms. The point in becoming familiar with them is to have a solid understanding of the concepts addressed, and sufficient terminology to be able to participate in the educational discourse about addiction research.

Web Site Review

In each lesson, an annotated selection of Web sites is presented to enhance your understanding of the concepts featured in that lesson. These Web sites appear in a separate browser window from the course narrative, so you can "bookmark" or "add to favorites" any that are of professional interest to you. This course provides rich online learning resources. However, it is easy to get involved in interesting Web sites and lose track of both your purpose and your time. We will give you guidance on where to focus your attention.

Quizzes

Each lesson has an associated quiz. To prepare for the quiz, review assigned readings, the online narrative, key terms, and guiding questions for each activity. The quizzes are required, and you will receive credit for completing them, but they do not receive a grade. Submit your quiz by the posted date, and you receive your participation credit, as well as an answer sheet. If you do not understand an answer you missed, refer to the same resources you used to prepare for the quiz. If that is not sufficient, post your question to the "Ask the Professor" discussion forum for clarification, citing what you found in the references that supports your query.

Assignments

Each lesson also includes an assignment requiring you to post comments and responses in an online forum. You will post your own answer to assignment questions and you will respond to other postings for each of the nine assignments.

Instructions for completion accompany each assignment. If an assignment is incomplete or of unacceptable quality, the instructor will provide appropriate feedback and ask you to do it again.

Submission Guidelines

Assignments will be submitted via an online discussion forum as either individual message posts or posts with attachments. Due dates are found on the Course Schedule linked from the Course Syllabus.

Quizzes are submitted through an onlinie quiz tool.

Links to the discussion forums and quizzes are linked from the Course Syllabus on the Online Tools page.

At the latest, complete all activities, quizzes, and "Ask the Professor" queries by midnight Friday the week of the lesson. Complete and submit your assignment by that Sunday at midnight. Also respond to the assignment posting of a classmate by midnight that Sunday. This will give your instructors three days to respond to assignments and questions—by midnight the following Wednesday.

Practice Exercises, Guiding Questions, and e-Notebook

These ungraded activities are provided to enhance your learning experience and assist you in reading critically.

"Real World Connection" practice exercises provide you with an opportunity to explore the association between course concepts and your professional practice.

In responding to "Guiding Questions," you will develop your thoughts about course content, consider issues this content brings up in your workplace, and interact with each other in a discussion forum in order to develop a professional network of individuals interested in the field of addiction.

Keeping a digital e-Notebook to record definitions of Key Terms and responses to practice Guiding Questions as you read will be useful as you prepare for your assignments, and quizzes, and post-test.

Assessment

Grading Rubric

This a non-credit course. Points and expectations are detailed in the grading rubric.

Upon successfully completing this course, you will earn five continuing education units (CEUs) or 50 clock hours. To receive the CEUs, you must complete:

• all required assignments
• the post-course reflections

About Your Instructors

Lead: Professor Akira Horita, Ph.D.
Co-Instructor: Jenny Williamson, M. ED.

You can read brief biographies of each instructor on the "About Your Instructors" page. Your instructors share the tasks associated with this online course, according to their individual expertise. These tasks include providing feedback, grading, and answering questions.

Your instructor scores all assignments and tracks the points assigned to you for the

• biography brief
• activities
• quizzes
• assignments

Your instructors will log on to the course site approximately every 48 hours, but are available by e-mail for your questions, comments, and concerns in between.

Ask the Professor

If you have questions for your instructors about the content of the course, please post them on the "Ask The Professor" forum on the Course Syllabus. Instructors will respond to your questions in that same forum. It is preferable that you interact with your instructors in the class Web site. If you have a personal concern (late arrangements, illness, travel), or if you urgently need to reach your instructors, e-mail them directly. You will find their e-mail addresses in the "About Your Instructors" page linked to the syllabus.

Instructor Bulletin Board

You will want to check the "Instructor Bulletin Board"on the Course Syllabus at the beginning of every week for updates on the course from your instructors.

The instructors will also post announcements to the entire class in the header of the Course Syllabus. You are advised to check this area of the syllabus every time you log on to the course.

 

Managing Your Time Online

This is a group-start course that allows you to log on and complete your course work at a time of your choosing as long as you keep pace with the group. To ensure the group is progressing at the same pace, and thus maximize opportunities for collegial exchange of ideas and resources, there are deadlines for the completion of each lesson. These deadlines are outlined in the Course Schedule linked to the syllabus. We expect you to adhere to them.

To succeed in this class, plan to spend 10–15 hours per week on course-related work. Time management is a key part of success in almost all distance-learning courses. A good strategy is to quickly scan the entire lesson before you allocate time to each activity within that lesson. It is important to stay in tune with the course schedule to maximize your benefits from the cohort interaction. This online course will be archived and not accessible shortly after the end date. It is extremely important to complete all your required work by the indicated deadlines.

You may wish to print all or parts of the online lesson narratives for reference in the later courses in the certificate sequence.

We hope this course will challenge you, "stretch your brain," and provide an enjoyable learning experience. We look forward to working with you.

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