printer friendly pagePSYC 17N: Think Before You Drink: Neurocircuitry of Alcohol Use Across the Developmental Lifespan
Alcohol is the most commonly used substance of abuse across the world. In the United States, approximately 179 million individuals (65% of the population) drank alcohol in the past year. A relatively small, but highly significant portion of these individuals who drink ultimately reach criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Today, almost 15 million people in the U.S. struggle with an AUD. Many decades of research have sought to uncover the brain-based driving forces behind alcohol misuse, the consequences of alcohol on brain function and structure, and how we can effectively treat Alcohol Use Disorder. This course will first cover our current understanding of the brain circuits the drive alcohol craving, use and withdrawal. Then, we will explore alcohol¿s effects on the brain throughout the lifespan, ranging from prenatal alcohol exposure, adolescence, young adults (including binge drinking in college), middle adulthood, and aging individuals at risk for cognitive decline. Lastly, thi
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Alcohol is the most commonly used substance of abuse across the world. In the United States, approximately 179 million individuals (65% of the population) drank alcohol in the past year. A relatively small, but highly significant portion of these individuals who drink ultimately reach criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Today, almost 15 million people in the U.S. struggle with an AUD. Many decades of research have sought to uncover the brain-based driving forces behind alcohol misuse, the consequences of alcohol on brain function and structure, and how we can effectively treat Alcohol Use Disorder. This course will first cover our current understanding of the brain circuits the drive alcohol craving, use and withdrawal. Then, we will explore alcohol¿s effects on the brain throughout the lifespan, ranging from prenatal alcohol exposure, adolescence, young adults (including binge drinking in college), middle adulthood, and aging individuals at risk for cognitive decline. Lastly, this course will cover the state-of-the-art techniques being developed to help individuals achieve sobriety and recovery from Alcohol Use Disorder. This highly interactive seminar will engage and equips students with skills in critical thinking, evaluation of scientific research, and a deeper understanding of AUD as a brain-based disease. Students will have the opportunity to engage in thoughtful discussions with treatment providers and AUD patients to gain a deeper understanding of the realities behind AUD treatment. Overall, this course is intended to help students develop strong skills in thinking and reading like a scientist, understanding the complexities behind alcohol use and misuse across the lifespan, and considering the reality of today¿s treatment landscape for Alcohol Use Disorder.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SMA
Instructors:
Padula, C. (PI)
PSYC 21Q: How we think as how we feel: Cognitive and emotional influences on mental health
Plato described Reason and Emotion as two horses pulling a chariot in different directions. Was he right? By the end of this course, you will be able to decide for yourself, based on the latest scientific evidence. You will also be able to explain how your answer reflects, and informs, current research on mental health. In this course, we will start by reading philosophical texts that establish the classical Western view of emotion and cognition as opposing forces. We will then put these views to the test by examining evidence from the fields of neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry. When thoughts and feelings compete, which one wins? Is it ever rational to follow your emotions? How do thoughts and feelings affect perception, memory, and decision-making? We will then turn to practical applications of cognitive-emotional interactions in the field of psychiatry. First, we will examine the implications of biases in perception, memory, and decision-making for mental health. Next, we wil
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Plato described Reason and Emotion as two horses pulling a chariot in different directions. Was he right? By the end of this course, you will be able to decide for yourself, based on the latest scientific evidence. You will also be able to explain how your answer reflects, and informs, current research on mental health. In this course, we will start by reading philosophical texts that establish the classical Western view of emotion and cognition as opposing forces. We will then put these views to the test by examining evidence from the fields of neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry. When thoughts and feelings compete, which one wins? Is it ever rational to follow your emotions? How do thoughts and feelings affect perception, memory, and decision-making? We will then turn to practical applications of cognitive-emotional interactions in the field of psychiatry. First, we will examine the implications of biases in perception, memory, and decision-making for mental health. Next, we will introduce cognitive profiles of specific psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression, and autism. We will also discuss clinical interventions that are informed by cognitive theories of psychiatric disorders, for example, cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps people change how they feel by changing how they think. Finally, we will examine how the physical body influences thoughts and feelings, with implications for psychiatric disorders. What is the relationship of physical illness to psychiatric illness? Is sleep as good as overnight therapy? Is there a scientific basis for the notion that emotions originate from the heart? By the end of this course, you will be able to describe whether mental well-being arise from the head, the heart, or their interaction.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
Instructors:
Chick, C. (PI)
PSYC 55N: Secrecy
What is a secret and why do we keep them? What is the cost - and the burden - of secret-keeping? The focus of this seminar will be professional secrecy, as we explore corporate confidentiality and the secret-keeping expected of all of us as professionals, and those who are engaged in issues of national security. Secrecy will be discussed in both ethical and practical frameworks. We will also explore psychology of secrecy, and secret-keeping in relationships. Students will begin to develop a personal ethic related to secrecy and will grapple with the intersection of secrets, lies and obfuscation.
Terms: Aut, Win
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-ER
Instructors:
Jacobs, J. (PI)
PSYC 60N: The Psychology of Stoked (LIFE 60N)
Examines the biological, psychological and social aspects of what it means to live a positive, life-affirming existence. Drawing from a wide range of sources, from psychiatry and psychology, to spirituality and philosophy, seminar informs on the latest thinking about the psychology of happiness, and questions assumptions about personal happiness. Explores the new field of positive psychology and pulls from a multidisciplinary literature, examining life satisfaction and happiness from many perspectives, and the psychiatry of stimulation including substance, human sexuality, and healthy methods of attaining happiness. Includes guest speakers from many different backgrounds and perspectives. Examines what it means to be truly mindful.
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
Instructors:
Joshi, S. (PI)
;
Reicherter, D. (PI)
PSYC 114: Frontier Technology: Understanding and Preparing for Technology in the Next Economy (CEE 114, CEE 214, MED 114, MED 214)
The next wave of technological innovation and globalization will affect our countries, our societies, and ourselves. This interdisciplinary course provides an introduction to emerging, frontier technologies. Topics covered include artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing and advanced robotics, smart cities and urban mobility, telecommunications with 5G/6G, and other key emerging technologies in society. These technologies have vast potential to address the largest global challenges of the 21st century, ushering in a new era of progress and change.
Terms: Win
| Units: 1
Instructors:
Fischer, M. (PI)
PSYC 126: Literature and the Brain (COMPLIT 138, COMPLIT 238, ENGLISH 118, ENGLISH 218, FRENCH 118, FRENCH 218, PSYCH 118F)
How does fiction make us better at reading minds? Why do some TV shows get us to believe two contradictory things at once? And can cognitive biases be a writer's best friend? We'll think about these and other questions in the light of contemporary neuroscience and experimental psychology, with the help of Song of Solomon (Toni Morrison), Madame Bovary (Gustave Flaubert), season 1 of Westworld (Lisa Joy / Jonathan Nolan), and short readings from writers like Louise Glück, Jorge Luis Borges, Virginia Woolf, and Marcel Proust. We'll also ask what we see when we read; whether the language we speak affects the way we think; and why different people react differently to the same book. Plus: is free will a fiction, or were you just forced to say that?
Terms: Win
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
Instructors:
Eagleman, D. (PI)
;
Landy, J. (PI)
;
Bahia, G. (TA)
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more instructors for PSYC 126 »
Instructors:
Eagleman, D. (PI)
;
Landy, J. (PI)
;
Bahia, G. (TA)
;
Gedik, M. (TA)
;
Gorshkova, M. (TA)
;
Mehrish, D. (TA)
;
Zhan, M. (TA)
PSYC 135: Dement's Sleep and Dreams (PSYC 235)
Dr. William Dement created Sleep and Dreams in 1971, the world's first university course devoted to the science of sleep. Upon his retirement he selected Dr. Rafael Pelayo to be his successor, but he continued to participate in class until his passing in the summer of 2020. To honor his legacy in perpetuity, Dr.Pelayo renamed the course 'Dement's Sleep Dreams' as he had promised him he would. The goal is to retain the original spirit of the course as the content is continuously updated to reflect current state of sleep science. The course is designed to impart essential knowledge of the neuroscience of sleep and covers how sleep affects our daily lives. The course covers normal sleep and dreams, as well as common sleep disorders. Course content empowers students to make educated decisions concerning sleep and alertness for the rest of their lives and shapes students' attitudes about the importance of sleep. Students will keep track of their sleep patterns during the course. They will also participate in an outreach project to help improve awareness of the importance of sleep heath in our community. Undergraduates must enroll in
PSYC 135, while graduate students should enroll in
PSYC 235.
Terms: Win, Spr
| Units: 3
| UG Reqs: WAY-SMA, GER: DB-NatSci
PSYC 139: Understanding Relationships: A Couples and Family Therapy Perspective (PSYC 239)
Considers the premises of the family-systems approach to intimate and family relationships, drawing on concepts from psychology, psychiatry, neurobiology, anthropology, and organizational behavior. Examines relationship formation and commitment, intimacy and sexuality, family development and structure, interpersonal conflict and communication, historical patterns and legacies, gender and power, and the cultural and larger systemic contexts of close relationships. Frameworks for assessing relationships and tools for changing romantic, family, and social relationships are examined in detail, and case examples illustrate the relationship change strategies of major contributors to the field. Highlights practical applications of the family-systems approach in educational, medical, business, and community settings. Students do not need to have a background in Psychology or Human Biology, and all student levels are welcome (including GSB, Law, Medicine, GSE for
PSYC 239).
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
Instructors:
Rait, D. (PI)
PSYC 148: AI's Psyche and Psych: Mental Health in the Age of AI (PSYC 248)
How does AI make you feel? This course, led by two psychiatrists who are actively seeing patients and working with AI companies, will investigate the impact of generative AI on your/user mental health and the mental healthcare system. It will emphasize both the profound benefits of the technology while investigating its risks and poor outcomes. The class will cover topics ranging from the history of sentencing algorithms and current legal framework of AI and healthcare, to AI in organizations like NASA and the Department of Defense. It will round out this discussion by tapping into industry expertise to hear how the largest AI companies are thinking about mental health. It will help you understand how as a user of AI, you can protect yourself from harm and leverage the best of AI to improve your life and the life of others. Further, it will help you understand how to develop safe, effective, and inclusive AI that benefits society and humanity.
Terms: Win
| Units: 1-2
Instructors:
Vasan, N. (PI)
PSYC 149: The Neurobiology of Sleep (BIO 149, BIO 249, HUMBIO 161, PSYC 261)
The neurochemistry and neurophysiology of changes in brain activity and conscious awareness are associated with changes in the sleep/wake state. Behavioral and neurobiological phenomena include sleep regulation, sleep homeostasis, circadian rhythms, sleep disorders, sleep function, and the molecular biology of sleep. Preference to seniors and graduate students.
Terms: Win
| Units: 4
| UG Reqs: GER: DB-NatSci, WAY-SMA
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