PSYC62H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Paracetamol, Codeine, Phase 2
Document Summary
Psychopharmacology = the study of how drugs affect mood, perception, thinking, / behaviour. Psychoactive drugs = drugs that achieve the effects above (affect mood, perception, thinking, / behaviour) by acting in the nervous system. Psychopharmacologist = medical practitioner (ex. psychiatrist) who specializes in prescribing psychoactive medication / a scientist who studies psychoactive drugs. Behavioural pharmacology = sometimes considered same as psychopharmacology; the study of how drugs affect behaviour: drugs serve as behaviourally relevant stimuli, part of subfield of psych called behavioural analysis. Neuropsychopharmacology = a. k. a. pharmacology; the study of how drugs affect the nervous system + how these nervous system changes alter behaviour: particular emphasis on nervous system actions of drugs. As consumers, we should know about the substances we ingest. Greater knowledge of psychoactive substances improves patient understanding of prescribed medical treatments + health implications of taking recreational + abused substances. Psychoactive substances provide important tools for understanding human behaviour.