Description
Psychotropic Drugs
Research Paper
The purpose of this assignment is for you to demonstrate your understanding of neural structures and mechanisms through writing about a particular pharmaceutical drug. Your paper must be approximately 5-6 pages in length, not including the title page or reference page. Your paper must conform to APA format. Use Times Roman in size 12 with margins of approximately 1 inch. All citations and references must also conform to APA style. You will need to consult at least five professional sources for this paper, although one of those may include literature produced and distributed by the drug manufacturer. Professional sources are generally peer-reviewed journal articles. You may cite the text if appropriate, but the text does not count as one of your professional sources. I would expect to see articles from clinical psychology journals (to address the specific disorder under consideration and treatment efficacy), as well as journals from the medical/psychiatric field that discuss neural mechanisms, efficacy, and adverse effects. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are useful government sources. Web resources (other those that of the pharmaceutical companies and the two .gov sites) are not appropriate unless specifically approved by the instructor in writing.
Your goal is to demonstrate your understanding of the drug, describe its impact on the human nervous system, and consider the behavioral consequences. Your paper should provide a 1) brief history of the drug and its use(s) 2) description of the neural mechanisms involved 3) discussion of the efficacy (including placebo effects) of the drug 4) coverage of side effects (or any adverse effects) associated with its use, or any other controversies associated with the use (or misuse) of the drug. Use headings for each of these sections of your paper. You are encouraged to pick a drug that falls into one of the following general categories: antidepressants, antipsychotics, sleep aids, anti-anxiety drugs, stimulants (used to treat ADHD), and drugs used to treat bipolar disorder. However, other drugs may be appropriate as well, as long as you gain approval in advance. There are limits on the number of students researching any particular drug. This paper is due in hard copy at the start of class on 12-2.
You will be evaluated on:
- the extent to which your paper addresses items 1-4 listed above.
- your overall writing skills: organization, writing mechanics (e.g. grammar, usage, spelling, editing), analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
- adherence to APA formatting guidelines.
- conformity to criteria for page length and required sources.
the drug I chose was prolactin