Select the topic for your Critical Review, which is due in Week Six, and briefly analyze its key features and pathophysiology. You may select from any of the following psychiatric disorders: schizophrenia (or schizotypal disorders), bipolar disorder, depression, any of the anxiety disorders, PTSD, chronic pain disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease or other movement disorder, seizures, ADD/ADHD, autism, OCD, any personality disorder, brain trauma, stroke, encephalitis, meningitis, or migraines. Other topics may be chosen, with approval of your instructor.
Other topics may be considered but require prior approval by the instructor. However, addiction is not the emphasis of the course. Critical Reviews focusing on addiction, or drugs of addiction, will not be accepted. Your paper must focus on drug treatment and not on other modes of treatment. Papers that discuss psychotherapy, other than in passing, will not be given credit. Ask your instructor for clarification.
Explain your chosen psychiatric disorder in terms of neurotransmitter and receptor theories. Describe the symptomology of the disorder and its relationship with the neurotransmitters involved. Discuss the anatomic changes seen with the disorder. Explain the relationship between neurotransmitter and anatomic features and resultant symptoms. Summarize the interaction(s) between the behavioral, neuroanatomical, and neurotransmitter changes seen within the selected disorder.
The paper:
- Must be three to five double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Must include a separate title page with the following:
- Title of paper
- Student’s name
- Course name and number
- Instructor’s name
- Date submitted
- Must use at least three peer-reviewed sources from the Ashford University Library. These may include the required articles for the assignment.
- Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
- Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.
Elaborate on the Topic for Your Critical Review
This assignment will be a continuation of the written assignment from Week One. Research a minimum of three peer-reviewed articles in addition to information from your text on the disorder you chose in Week One. Consider the key classes of drugs used to treat the disorder you chose in Week One and explain their action at the neurotransmitter system involved in the disease process. Analyze and describe the agonist-antagonist activity of the drugs and the receptor types and subtypes involved in the disorder. Elaborate on the receptor agonist-antagonist actions of the drugs and describe the most common side effects seen with these drugs. Evaluate the risk-benefits of drug use for this disorder.
The paper:
- Must be three to five double-spaced pages in length, excluding title page and references page, and it must be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Must include a title page with the following:
- Title of paper
- Your name
- Course name and number
- Your instructor’s name
- Date submitted
- Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
- Must use at least three peer-reviewed sources in addition to the text.
- Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
- Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.
Rapid Review 1
Select a psychoactive drug that is of pharmacological interest to you, but not one you will review as part of your Critical Review. For this paper, you may choose drugs of abuse; however, the paper must focus on the pharmacology of the drug and not on the social or addictive aspects. If you focus on addiction and social impact, your paper will not receive credit.
In addition to the text, research a minimum of three peer-reviewed articles published within the last five years on your selected drug. Prepare a three-page summary of the drug using the PSY630 Rapid Review Example paper (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. as a guide.
In your Rapid Review, analyze and explain the pharmacological aspects of the drug as they relate to the following: neurotransmitters affected, receptors, route of administration, half-life, doses, side effects, drug interactions, contraindications, and other important facets of the drug. Explain these aspects of the drug in terms of the psychiatric disorders indicated for the drug and the issue(s) associated with that use. If there is no accepted therapeutic use for the drug, evaluate and describe the actions of the drug with regard to the abuse process.
The paper:
- Must be three to five double-spaced pages in length, excluding title page and references page, and it must be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Must include a title page with the following:
- Title of paper
- Your name
- Course name and number
- Your instructor’s name
- Date submitted
- Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
- Must use at least three peer-reviewed sources in addition to the text.
- Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
- Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.
Rapid Review 2
Select a psychoactive drug that is of pharmacological interest to you, but not one you will review as part of your Critical Review or one that was included in your previous Rapid Review. For this paper, you may choose drugs of abuse; however, the paper must focus on the pharmacology of the drug and not on the social or addictive aspects. If you focus on addiction and social impact, your paper will not receive credit.
In addition to the text, research a minimum of three peer-reviewed articles published within the last five years on your selected drug. Prepare a three-page summary of the drug using the PSY630 Rapid Review Example paper (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. as a guide.
In your Rapid Review, analyze and explain the pharmacological aspects of the drug as they relate to the following: neurotransmitters affected, receptors, route of administration, half-life, doses, side effects, drug interactions, contraindications, and other important facets of the drug. Explain these aspects of the drug in terms of the psychiatric disorders indicated for the drug and the issue(s) associated with that use. If there is no accepted therapeutic use for the drug, evaluate and describe the actions of the drug with regard to the abuse process.
The paper:
- Must be three to five double-spaced pages in length, excluding title page and references page, and it must be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Must include a title page with the following:
- Title of paper
- Your name
- Course name and number
- Your instructor’s name
- Date submitted
- Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
- Must use at least three peer-reviewed sources in addition to the text.
- Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
- Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.
Rapid Review 3
Select a psychoactive drug that is of pharmacological interest to you, but not one you will review as part of your Critical Review or one that was included in your previous Rapid Reviews. For this paper, you may choose drugs of abuse; however, the paper must focus on the pharmacology of the drug and not on the social or addictive aspects. If you focus on addiction and social impact, your paper will not receive credit.
In addition to the text, research a minimum of three peer-reviewed articles published within the last five years on your selected drug. Prepare a three-page summary of the drug using the PSY630 Rapid Review Example paper (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. as a guide.
In your Rapid Review, analyze and explain the pharmacological aspects of the drug as they relate to the following: neurotransmitters affected, receptors, route of administration, half-life, doses, side effects, drug interactions, contraindications, and other important facets of the drug. Explain these aspects of the drug in terms of the psychiatric disorders indicated for the drug and the issue(s) associated with that use. If there is no accepted therapeutic use for the drug, evaluate and describe the actions of the drug with regard to the abuse process.
The paper:
- Must be three to five double-spaced pages in length, excluding title page and references page, and it must be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Must include a title page with the following:
- Title of paper
- Your name
- Course name and number
- Your instructor’s name
- Date submitted
- Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
- Must use at least three peer-reviewed sources in addition to the text.
- Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
- Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.
Critical Review
The final assignment for this class will be a 10-page critical review of the drug treatment for a psychiatric disorder (broadly defined to include psychological and neurological disorders as well). The review will use peer-reviewed sources to evaluate the current drug treatment modalities for the selected disorder and determine the adequacy of those treatments. The paper will be evaluated on the inclusion of the following information:
Introduction
Evaluate the disorder in terms of symptomatic and behavioral presentation. Include the time, course, and progression of the disorder. Evaluate and explain special features of the disease epidemiology.
Theory
Evaluate the predominant theory or theories regarding the biological basis of the disorder. Explain the disorder in terms of pertinent neurotransmitter and receptor theories and describe the pertinent evidence of their involvement. Analyze the neurotransmitter systems in terms of the involved receptors and the use receptor agonists and antagonists in the treatment of the disorder receptor. Include information on the anatomic changes to the central nervous system as appropriate to the topic.
Treatment
Evaluate drug therapies for treating the disorder based on the current understanding of the biological basis of the disorder and the corresponding behavioral effects of the disorder. Explain pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in relation to the disorder and corresponding drug treatment. Describe any side effects and adverse effects of the drug treatment and their biological basis, including issues related to contraindications, interactions, drug metabolism, and elimination. In addition, explain risks, benefits, and ethical implications for high-risk and exceptional treatment conditions.
Conclusion
Summarize theories of psychiatric disease as they relate to principles of drug action within the chosen topic. Evaluate advantages and disadvantages of the current theory of the disorder and its treatment and evaluate any controversies regarding ethical and/or risk-benefits perspectives associated with the current treatment. Describe possible areas for future research.
Attention Students: The Masters of Arts in Psychology program is utilizing the Pathbrite portfolio tool as a repository for student scholarly work in the form of signature assignments completed within the program. After receiving feedback for this Critical Review, please implement any changes recommended by the instructor, go to Pathbrite (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and upload the revised Critical Review to the portfolio. (Use the Pathbrite Quick-Start Guide (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. to create an account if you do not already have one.) The upload of signature assignments will take place after completing each course. Be certain to upload revised signature assignments throughout the program as the portfolio and its contents will be used in other courses and may be used by individual students as a professional resource tool. See the Pathbrite (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. website for information and further instructions on using this portfolio tool.
Writing the Critical Review
The paper:
- Must be 10 to 12 double-spaced pages in length (not including title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Must include a separate title page with the following:
- Title of paper
- Student’s name
- Course name and number
- Instructor’s name
- Date submitted
- Must use at least five peer-reviewed sources in addition to the course text.
- Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
- Must include a separate reference page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.
