Elaborate on the Topic for Your Critical Review
This assignment continues your analysis of your selected neuropsychological disorder. The disorder is the same disorder you selected in Week 1 and for which you discussed its neurobiology in the Week 1 assignment (topic selection). Please remember – you will continue to use the same disorder to complete the Week 6 assignment (comprehensive Critical Review of the same disorder and its management).
Reminder – your completed Week 1 and Week 2 assignments will be used as a foundation to help you complete your Week 6 assignment (Critical Review) on the same disorder. Thus, your work in Week 1 and in Week 2 will be used to support your work in Week 6.
Focus on the pharmacological (drug) treatment of your selected disorder. Other modes of treatment are not the focus of our class. For instance, papers that discuss psychotherapy, other than in passing, will not be given credit. In your paper, please be sure that the following aspects of your topic are discussed:
Describe the key classes of drugs used to treat your selected disorder. A “class” of drug usually indicates the drug’s mechanism of action (how the drug exerts is pharmacological effects on the body). Be sure to explain why this class of drugs or classes of drugs would be helpful in treating your selected disorder by describing the action of these drugs on the neurotransmitter system(s) involved in the disease process. Within each class of drug, there will be one or more drugs available on the market for use in clinical management, and examples of these should be included in your discussion.
Analyze and describe the agonist-antagonist activity of the drugs, and the receptor types and subtypes on which the drugs will exert their pharmacological action. Indicate if these drugs will reverse or slow the disease process, or if they will only help ameliorate symptoms.
Close your paper with an analysis of the risk-benefit of drug use for your selected disorder. Include a discussion of how the drug class(es) would be typically used, what expected benefits would be obtained from drug use, and what common drug side effects might occur.
Research a minimum of three peer-reviewed or scholarly articles published within the last 5 to 10 years. These references are in addition to those used in the Week 1 written assignment and should focus on pharmacological (drug) treatment of your selected disorder. These sources should provide evidence-based information to help support your analysis, focusing on the aspects described above. Be sure to cite your sources in your paper and include them on your References page. You may utilize required or recommended course materials in your work, but these will not count towards the reference requirements; however, you may cite and reference the American Psychiatric Association’s (2013) DSM-5 as one of your sources used for the grading credit.
