Course Syllabus

 

Course Description

Addictive disorders involve complex interactions among neurobiological, psychological, environmental, and sociocultural features and can reflect problems across a range of substances or behaviors. From drug abuse, to gambling, to the more controversial sex addiction and food addiction, problems with addiction share important commonalities in neurocircuitry. In this course, we will adopt a multidisciplinary lens and review contemporary research involving techniques such as neuroimaging, brain stimulation, and real-time neurofeedback to explore addiction processes and strategies for treatment and prevention. Finally, we will explore various approaches for addressing problems with addiction and discuss similarities and differences across the United States and Scandinavia. 

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Describe the nature of addiction using a multidisciplinary framework, including biological, psychological, sociocultural, and systemic factors. 
• Synthesize and critically evaluate the neural implications of addiction processes.
• Describe and critically evaluate contemporary research methods that are used to understand the neuroscience of addiction. 
• Compare and contrast intervention strategies for addiction between the United States and Scandinavia.

Faculty

Faculty Name

Ieva Miseviciute, PhD

Ieva began her academic journey in psychology before transitioning to the field of neurobiology for her Master’s studies. During this time, she worked at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience in Amsterdam, conducting research on the neural mechanisms underlying habit formation, cocaine addiction, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. She went on to earn her PhD in Neuroscience and Brain Technologies at the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa, where she investigated endocannabinoid-mediated synaptic plasticity at prefrontal cortex–locus coeruleus synapses during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Throughout her academic career, she developed expertise in a wide range of circuit neuroscience techniques, including ex vivo electrophysiology, optogenetics, chemogenetics, neuropharmacology, fluorescence imaging, stereotactic surgeries in rodents, and immunohistochemistry. She now works as a Scientific Content Specialist at BioLamina.

Readings

Book and book chapters:

Nicholas W. Gilpin 'Neurocircuitry of addiction", 2022

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/DIS/detail.action?docID=7150291

Articles 

Shared throughout the course. 

Field Studies

The field studies may include activities such as the following:

• Visiting a center for drug rehabilitation to learn about their treatment strategies
• Visiting a tobacco producer to understand methods of measuring nicotine to tobacco ratios across different cigarette types
• Visiting a research lab that specializes in addiction research 

Guest Lecturers

The guest lecturers are to be determined but may include the following:

• Lived experience narrative from someone in recovery or impacted by addiction 
• Psychopharmacology researcher to describe current research on the neural implications of substance use 
• Legal expert or law enforcement officer to discuss substance use or related public health policies in Sweden

Approach to Teaching

Our approach to teaching is based on a core assumption: Learning is a collective endeavour in which the contribution of each individual has an impact on how much is learned overall. Lectures can serve a valuable purpose both in providing useful information and in stimulating creative thought. But genuine learning takes place only when the student takes an active role –in reading carefully, thinking critically, in raising questions and objections, and in listening to others. It is only through engaged dialogue that we have the capacity to enrich our understanding of the world. Our expectation is that students will actively engage in the learning process, both inside and outside the classroom.   

The course utilizes a variety of pedagogical methods, including lectures, discussions, student presentations, and study visits. There is a strong emphasis on discussion and student participation. Everyone is expected to not only complete the readings for each class, but to come to class well prepared to engage in discussion.

Attendance at all lectures and field studies is mandatory.

Note that it is important to check your e-mail and DIS Canvas regularly since outlines, assignment info etc. will be distributed here.

Expectations of the Students

Students are expected to have done the readings and come prepared with relevant questions and notes for each class. This will give us material to generate conversation. When responding to questions in class, refer to our readings to support the points you are making. Students are expected to challenge themselves and their worldviews with an investigative mindset and curiosity, seeking to understand the topics at hand as well as how they relate to themselves as individuals and the world around them.

Evaluation

Note. To be eligible for a passing grade in this class you must complete all of the assigned work.

You will be evaluated based on your performance on the course assignments as outlined below. Full details are provided in the “Assignments" section. 

Grading

Assignment	Percent
Active class participation	25%
Neuroscience research methods	20%
Circuits of negative reinforcement: mini lecture	20%
LST tour assignment: designing recovery-friendly Lisbon	10%
Final project: Infographic poster	25%
Total:	100%

 

Academic Accommodations

Your learning experience in this class is important to me.  If you have approved academic accommodations with DIS, please make sure I receive your DIS accommodations letter within two weeks from the start of classes. If you can think of other ways I can support your learning, please don't hesitate to talk to me. If you have any further questions about your academic accommodations, contact Academic Support acadsupport@disstockholm.se