Mental Health Medications

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) at http://www.nimh.nih.gov has published an excellent 30 page booklet entitled Mental Health Medications. The booklet, organized by disorders, details many of the psychiatric medications used today. The publication ends with an alphabetical listing of drugs.

The booklet can be viewed online at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/mental-health-medications/index.shtml and/or downloaded as a PDF file at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/mental-health-medications/nimh-mental-health-medications.pdf

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Psychoactive Drugs - Part II

Mary Spilis, retired AP Psychology Teacher, now College Board AP Consultant from Charlevoix, MI sent a number of additional links to other sites about psychoactive drugs. All are government sites courtesy of the National Institute of Health. The last link includes a document entitled "Addiction: Drugs, Brains, and Behavior - The Science of Addiction" which can be downloaded as a PDF document." The sites include:

http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/Infofaxindex.html

http://www.drugabuse.gov/PDF/RRPrescription.pdf

http://www.nida.nih.gov/scienceofaddiction/

Thank you Mary for always keeping us up to date on the latest websites.

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Psychoactive Drug Chart

One of the best ways I have found to present the various psychoactive drugs is with some form of chart. To the right (click on the icon to enlarge) is a very complex Venn diagram as shown on Wikipedia detailing many different types of drugs. DrugNet has a more simplified version at http://www.drugnet.bizland.com/Drug_Info/DrugChart.htm

Near the end of the last school year we had two teachers, Mary Spilis of Charlevoix, MI and Kate Duggan of Herbert Hoover High School, Glendale, CA, shared charts on neurotransmitters each had created. Both charts can be downloaded at the 4Shared file sharing account at http://www.4shared.com/dir/10555367/29577282/sharing.html

I am hoping to recreate that same type of collaboration this year. If you are willing to share a chart of psychoactive drugs you have developed, please feel free to upload it to the 4Shared site at the address listed above or, if you would prefer, feel free to email me (Kent Korek - kkorek@germantown.k12.wi.us) the chart and I would be happy to upload it to the 4Shared account. Please respect the work of others and do NOT upload a chart from a text or someone's website.

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Using Drug Abuse to Teach Neuroscience

The National Institute on Drug Abuse has designed five lessons (packets) using PowerPoints to explain the physiological aspects of drug use and abuse. While each lesson would work well within a States of Consciousness or Drug Abuse unit, they can also be used to explain the workings of the brain and neural impulses. The graphics on the Powerpoint are outstanding and each slide includes basic information and hints on how to present the material.

Go to http://www.nida.nih.gov/pubs/Teaching/ for general information on the teaching packets or click on the links below to download each individual packet.

Packet 1: The Brain & the Actions of Cocaine, Opiates, and Marijuana
Packet 2: The Neurobiology of Drug Addiction
Packet 3: Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction: What Science Says
Packet 4: The Neurobiology of Ecstasy (MDMA)
Packet 5: Bringing the Power of Science to Bear on Drug Abuse and Addiction

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The Genetic Science Learning Center from the University of Utah

The University of Utah's Genetic Science Learning Center includes a host of activities for students to explore the wonders of genetics, heredity, drugs and much more. No doubt, the most popular at the site is "Mouse Party" where students learn the effects of various drugs on the physiological system. Click here for a link to the site.

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