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The Addicted Brain

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The Addicted Brain

Instructor: Michael Kuhar, Ph.D.

185,762 already enrolled

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8 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

2,241 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

8 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

2,241 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

97%

Most learners liked this course

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

8 assignments

Taught in English

91% of learners achieved a positive career outcome

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There are 8 modules in this course

This is a course about addiction to drugs and other behaviors. It will describe what happens in the brain and how this information helps us deal with and overcome addiction. It will also discuss other topics, such as government policy and our vulnerability to take drugs.

Module details

In this first week, we'll explore drug abuse, types of addictions, and the behaviors associated with them.

What's included

6 videos5 readings1 assignment

6 videosTotal 36 minutes

Course Overview7 minutes
Definitions and Terminology8 minutes
The Historical Evidence4 minutes
The Ten Classes of Drugs5 minutes
Drug Use: A Serious Problem5 minutes
Behavioral Addictions6 minutes

5 readingsTotal 70 minutes

Instructor Bio & Acknowledgements10 minutes
Recommended Readings40 minutes
Case: A Life on Hold5 minutes
Case: An Ancient Story About a Gambling Addiction5 minutes
Notes10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

The Background and Overview of Drug Use30 minutes

In this second week, we'll get a glimpse at why certain drugs are addicting and how they affect different regions of the brain.

What's included

6 videos3 readings1 assignment

6 videosTotal 41 minutes

Drug Dynamics: The Fate of Drugs in the Body6 minutes
Detecting Drugs in the Body5 minutes
Synaptic Transmission: The Target of Addicting Drugs10 minutes
Neurotransmitters: The Chemical Messengers in the Brain5 minutes
Cocaine & Nicotine7 minutes
Drugs are Multifunctional8 minutes

3 readingsTotal 80 minutes

Case: Cocaine10 minutes
Recommended Readings30 minutes
Notes40 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Drugs & How the Brain Works30 minutes

In this third week, we'll take a deep dive into the different types of drugs and their individual effects.

What's included

7 videos4 readings1 assignment

7 videosTotal 47 minutes

Alcohol9 minutes
Nicotine8 minutes
Marijuana5 minutes
Psychostimulants8 minutes
Hallucinogens5 minutes
Opiate Drugs7 minutes
Sedatives, Anti-Anxiety Agents, & Hypnotics6 minutes

4 readingsTotal 50 minutes

Case: Veteran with Stress Syndrome5 minutes
Case: Psychedelic Drug5 minutes
Recommended Readings30 minutes
Notes10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Classes of Drugs, Part 130 minutes

In this fourth week, we'll take a look at the drug self-administration model in animals and the implications of these results.

What's included

8 videos3 readings1 assignment

8 videosTotal 47 minutes

Inhalants7 minutes
Caffeine5 minutes
New and Other Substances5 minutes
Review of Ten Classes of Drugs6 minutes
Animals in Drug Addiction Research5 minutes
Animal Model of Drug Self-Administration, Part 19 minutes
Animal Model of Drug Self-Adminstration, Part 25 minutes
Conditioned Place Preference5 minutes

3 readingsTotal 80 minutes

Case: The Powerful "Cue"5 minutes
Recommended Readings45 minutes
Notes30 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Classes of Drugs, Part 2 & Animal Models30 minutes

In this fifth week, we'll consider synaptic transmission and how drugs alter it.

What's included

7 videos4 readings1 assignment

7 videosTotal 54 minutes

Dopamine, Reward, & Survival8 minutes
Dopamine & Natural Rewards6 minutes
Brain Imaging & PET Scanning9 minutes
Dopamine Receptors in Vulnerability & Healing6 minutes
Neuroplasticity & How Drugs Change the Brain7 minutes
How Drugs Alter Gene Expression: Signaling and Epigenetics11 minutes
Neurotransmission & Brain Imaging Review7 minutes

4 readingsTotal 80 minutes

Case: From Success to Desperation10 minutes
Epigenetics Supplement20 minutes
Recommended Readings40 minutes
Notes10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Neurotransmission & Brain Imaging30 minutes

In this sixth week, we'll have the chance to consider the concept of vulnerability and the value and effectiveness of treatment.

What's included

8 videos3 readings1 assignment

8 videosTotal 43 minutes

Will I Become an Addict?6 minutes
Risk Factors10 minutes
Self-Medication & Co-Morbidity4 minutes
The Interaction of Vulnerabilities & Risk Factors7 minutes
Environmental Risk Factors4 minutes
Personality & Judgment Risk Factors4 minutes
Protective Factors3 minutes
Prevention5 minutes

3 readingsTotal 120 minutes

Case: Drugs for Life: What Went Wrong?5 minutes
Recommended Readings60 minutes
Notes55 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Vulnerability: Drug Use, Abuse, & Prevention30 minutes

In this seventh week, we'll explore drug treatment and government drug policies that exist.

What's included

6 videos3 readings1 assignment

6 videosTotal 67 minutes

Treatment, Part 16 minutes
Treatment, Part 215 minutes
Government Drug Policy10 minutes
Drugs & Criminality9 minutes
Recap, Part 115 minutes
Recap, Part 212 minutes

3 readingsTotal 60 minutes

Case: The Scare of a Lifetime and the Difference a Policy can Make15 minutes
Recommended Readings40 minutes
Notes5 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Treatment, Policy, & Decriminalization30 minutes

In this final week, we'll explore the recent opioid epidemic as well as the topic of medical and recreational marijuana.

What's included

6 videos5 readings1 assignment

6 videosTotal 38 minutes

Drugs & Society: An Introduction3 minutes
Causes of the Opioid Epidemic8 minutes
Getting Addicted & Getting Treatment7 minutes
What Is "Medical" Marijuana?8 minutes
Legalization & Marijuana Products5 minutes
What Should Our Attitudes Be?6 minutes

5 readingsTotal 150 minutes

Opioid Peptides20 minutes
Partial Agonists vs Full Agonists10 minutes
Cannabinoids in the Brain30 minutes
The FDA30 minutes
Recommended Readings60 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 20 minutes

Drugs & Society20 minutes

Instructor

Instructor ratings

(356 ratings)

Michael Kuhar, Ph.D.

Emory University

1 Course185,762 learners

Offered by

Emory University

Learner reviews

5 stars
76.23%
4 stars
17.10%
3 stars
4.19%
2 stars
1.29%
1 star
1.16%

Showing 3 of 2241

Reviewed on Dec 31, 2021

This course covered a lot of fascinating topics such as how drugs affect the brain, why people become addicts, and how we can treat addiction. A very rewarding and fun course!

Reviewed on Nov 26, 2020

very informative and well constructedHowever, a bit biased towards negative effects of certain drugs without talking about their positive effects that are supported by research as well

Reviewed on Aug 18, 2020

I liked the course very much. And hope more and more people will take it and share the obtained information with others, so we can prevent the society from taking the drugs.

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