Prospectus

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Depression and other Stress Related Disorders

Course
2009-2010

Period*: Sept 21- Oct 16

Content

This advanced course combines clinical aspects with fundamental issues in neurobiology, pathogenesis and treatment of stress-related brain diseases.
The course is a ‘joint venture’ of the departments of Psychiatry and Medical Pharmacology.

Specific topics are:

  • Patient demonstration and clinical phenotyping, symptoms and diagnosis of depression and anxiety.

  • Pharmacology of depression and anxiety: efficacy and new drug development.

  • Epidemiology, genetics and etiology of depression and anxiety.

  • Other stress-related syndromes (e.g. anorexia nervosa, post traumatic stress disorder, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome).

  • Pathogenesis, molecular mechanisms and novel drug targets.

  • Theoretical and practical experience in stress and depression research in the departments of psychiatry and medical pharmacology (expert meetings).

  • Assignments to explore dedicated topics in the form of critical evaluations, research proposals and literature reviews.
    The student will report the results in a research proposal and in an oral presentation.

This course will particularly work on:
Research competences:
Defining a research question, writing a research proposal, integrate different biomedical disciplines.

Professional competences:
Commitment, digesting other people’s opinions.

Objectives/aim:

The student has a good understanding into:

  • main issues and methodology in the study of depression and other stress system disorders.

  • proposed theories and current scientific questions and how to evaluate them critically.

  • the student can convey this knowledge and its discrepancies in views to the other students.

  • finally, students have to implement this knowledge into short reviews and in a research proposal which (s)he will also present orally.

Form of tuition:

Interactive lectures, patient demonstrations, work groups, active participation in symposium.

Mode of assessment:

Marking of individual morning and afternoon-summaries of the day; research proposal; and oral presentation.

Entry requirements/recommended prior knowlegde

  • Successful completion of BM321 (How To Write A Research Proposal) is helpful.

  • The course will be given at first year Master level. An introductory seminar will review both level and course content at the start of the course.