Chemical Neurotransmission
Modern psychopharmacology is largely the story of chemical neurotransmission. One
must be fluent in the language and principles of chemical neurotransmission to:
• Understand the actions of drugs on the brain.,
• Grasp the impact of diseases upon the central nervous system.,
• Interpret the behavioral consequences of psychiatric medicines.,
After studying Module 1: Lecture Materials & Resources discuss the following:
• Choose an FDA-approved medication currently used in psychiatry.,
• Explain the concept of that drug’s half-life.
,
• How long would it take for that drug to reach a steady state?,
• How frequently should the medication be dosed based on the half-life?,
• Use Epocrates.com as a reference for this assignment.,
Submission Instructions:
• Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted and cited in current APA
style with support from at least 2 academic sources. Your initial post is worth 8
points.
Discussion 2
Depressive Disorders
Answer the questions below based on the following case study.
A 41-year-old man presents to his PCP with feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and
helplessness. He says that he cries for no reason, and has difficulty sleeping. He
noticed that the problems began about 6 weeks before, and he did not feel able to
shrug them off. He has been drinking more alcohol than usual and has stopped going to
work. When on his own, he admitted that he had thought of driving his car into the
nearest canal.
Chemical Neurotransmission
1. Summarize the clinical case.
2. What is the DSM 5-TR diagnosis based on the information provided in the case?
3. Which pharmacological treatment would you prescribe including the name,
dose, route and frequency of the drug in accordance with the clinical guidelines?
Include the rationale for this treatment.
4. Which non-pharmacological treatment would you prescribe according to the
clinical guidelines? Include the rationale for this treatment excluding a
psychotherapeutic modality.
5. Include an assessment of the treatment’s appropriateness, cost, effectiveness,
safety, and potential for patient adherence to the chosen medication. Use a local
pharmacy to research the cost of the medication and provide the most costeffective choice for the patient. Use great detail when answering questions 3-5.
Submission Instructions:
• Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted and cited in the current
APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources. Your initial post is
worth 8 points.
Discussion 3
Anxiety & Sleep Wake Disorders
Answer the questions below based on the following case study.
A 26-year-old woman presented to the clinic after her cleaning rituals had so exhausted
her that she had given up and could now enter only two of the five rooms in her home.
For more than a year she has worried that if her house is not sufficiently clean, her 3-
year-old son will become ill and could die. Having touched a surface she has to
disinfect it repeatedly – a procedure performed in a particular way and taking several
hours. In addition, she repetitively washes her hands and sterilizes all the crockery and
cutlery before eating. She realizes that she is ‘going over the top’, but she cannot stop
thinking that items may have germs on them. This leads to disabling anxiety and fear for
her son’s health, which she can only resolve by cleaning. This helps temporarily, but
soon the thoughts return again.
1. Summarize the clinical case.
2. What is the DSM 5-TR diagnosis based on the information provided in the case?
3. Which pharmacological treatment would you prescribe according to the clinical
guidelines? Include the rationale for this treatment.
4. Which non-pharmacological treatment would you prescribe according to the
clinical guidelines? Include the rationale for this treatment excluding a
psychotherapeutic modality.
Chemical Neurotransmission
5. Include an assessment of the treatment’s appropriateness, cost, effectiveness,
safety, and potential for patient adherence to the chosen medication. Use a local
pharmacy to research the cost of the medication and provide the most costeffective choice for the patient. Use great detail when answering questions 3-5.
Submission Instructions:
• Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted and cited in the current
APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources. Your initial post is
worth 8 points.
Discussion 4
Bipolar Disorders
Answer the questions below based on the following case study.
A 20-year-old woman with a past history of MDD is brought to the local emergency
department (ED) by her family. She appears restless, pacing around the waiting room,
and her parents say that she has recently been asked to leave her job as a tattoo artist.
She has not slept for four nights, and her speech is rapid and quickly wanders off the
point. She had recently purchased a $20,000 car and a $40,000 van to jump-start her
mobile tattoo business in Naples, Florida. She is very reluctant to remain in the ED
department because she has far too much to do and considers it a waste of everyone’s
time. She believes that she is far too important to be held back by minions.
1. Summarize the clinical case.
2. What is the DSM 5-TR diagnosis based on the information provided in the case?
3. Which pharmacological treatment would you prescribe according to the clinical
guidelines? Include the rationale for this treatment.
4. Which non-pharmacological treatment would you prescribe according to the
clinical guidelines? Include the rationale for this treatment excluding a
psychotherapeutic modality.
5. Include an assessment of the treatment’s appropriateness, cost, effectiveness,
safety, and potential for patient adherence to the chosen medication. Use a local
pharmacy to research the cost of the medication and provide the most costeffective choice for the patient. Use great detail when answering questions 3-5.
Submission Instructions:
• Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted and cited in current APA
style with support from at least 2 academic sources. Your initial post is worth 8
points.