• the basic mechanisms of action of pharmacological agents influencing neuropsychic and cognitive processes to be learned;
• the mechanism of action of pharmacological agents on neurotransmitter and neuromodulatory brain systems participating in neuropsychic and cognitive processes to be understood.

• know the pecularities of action of neuro-psychotropic pharmacological agents after their introduction in the organism;
• understand the mechanisms of action of pharmacological agents on neurotransmitter and neuromodulatory systems, connected with behavioural and cognitive processes.

• lectures and discussion of problems;
• seminars on the basic mechanisms of action of neuropsychotropic agents.

Psycho- and neuropharmacology, Elsevier, Amsterdam, New York, Oxford, 1983.

Spiegel, R. and Aebi, H. J.,

Psychopharmacology. An Introduction, John Wiley and Sons, Chichester et al., 1984.

Changeux, J. P.,

Neuronal Man. The Biology of Mind, Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford, 1986.

S. D. Iversen, (ed.),

Psychopharmacology, Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, New York, Tokyo, 1986.

P. S. Emson, M. Rossor and M. Tohyama, (eds.) Elsevier,

Peptides and Neurological Diseases, Amsterdam-New York - Oxford, 1986.

Squire, L. R.,

Memory and Brain, Oxford University Press, New York, 1987.

S. M. Stahl, S. D. Iversen and E. C. Goodman, eds.,

Cognitive Neurochemistry, Oxford University Press, Oxford. New York-Tokyo, 1987.

Gray, J. A.,

The Neuropsychology of Anxiety - an enquiry into the functions of the septo-hippocampal system, Oxford Univ. Press, New York, 1987.

Mc Gear, P. , Eccles, J. and Mc Gear, E.,

Molecular Neurobiology of the Mammalian Brain, Plenum Press, New York and London, 1989.

Ryall, R. W.,

Mechanisms of drug action on the nervous system, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, ect. 1989.

Rang, H. P. and Dale, M. M.,

Pharmacology, Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, London, ect., 1991.

Theoharides, Th. C. (Ed.),

Pharmacology, Little, Brown and Co. Boston, ect., 1992.

Martin, R. and Humphrey,

P. P. A. Receptors for 5-Hydroxytryptamine, Neuropharmacology vol.33, N 3/4, pp. 261-273, 1994.

• Haley, J. E. and E. M. Schuman. Involvement of nitric oxide in synaptic plasticity and learning. Seminars in the NEUROSCIENCES, vol. 6, 1994; pp.11-20.

Topic 5: Cholinergic transmission. Acetylcholine- a cholinergic transmitter. Pharmacological aspects of biosynthesis, uptake, storage, release, metabolism of acetylcholine. Cholino- receptors - pre-and postsynaptic. Cholinergic influence of neuropsychic processes.
Required reading: the main textbooks.

Topic 6: Dopaminergic transmission. Dopamine- a dopaminergic transmitter. Pharmacological aspects of biosynthesis, uptake, storage, release, metabolism of dopamine. Dopamine receptors- pre and postsynaptic. Dopaminergic influence of neuropsychic processes.
Required reading: the main textbooks.

Topic 7: Adrenergic (noradrenergic) transmission. Catecholamines-noradrenaline and adrenaline as adrenergic neurotransmitters. Pharmacological aspects of biosynthesis, uptake, storage, release, metabolism of catecholamines. Adrenorecettors- pre and postsynaptic. Adrenergic influence of neuropsychic processes.
Required reading: the main textbooks.

Topic 8: Serotonergic (5-Hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) transmission. Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT), a serotoninergic transmitter. Pharmacological aspects of biosynthesis, uptake, storage, release, metabolism of serotonin (5-HT). Serotonin (5-HT) receptors -pre and postsynaptic. Serotoninergic influence of neuropsychic processes.
Required reading: the main textbooks.
Additional reading:

• Martin, G. R. and P. P. A. Humphrey. Receptors for 5- hydroxytryptamine: Current perspectives on classification and nomenclature. Neuropharmacology, vol. 33, No 3/4, pp. 261-273, 1994.

Topic 9: Inhibitory transmission. Inhibitory transmitters in brain-pre and postsynaptic inhibition. Gamma- aminobutyric acid (GABA), a major inhibitory transmitter. Participation of GABA in the central regulation of physiological functions. Pharmacological aspects of biosynthesis, uptake, release and metabolism of GABA. GABA- receptors pre and postsynaptic. GABAergic influence of neuropsychic processes. Glicine pharmacological aspects. Taurine- pharmacological aspects.
Required reading: the main textbooks.
Additional reading:

• Krogsgaard- Larsen, P. GABA and glutamate receptors as therapeutic targets in neurodenegenerative disorders. Pharmacology&Toxycology, 1992, 70, 95- 104.
• Bowery, N. G. GABA receptors inside and outside the brain. In: GABA outside the CNS, S. L. Erdo (Ed.), Springer- Verlag, Berlin et al. 1991, pp. 215-232.

Topic 10: Excitatory transmission. Excitatory transmitter in brain. Glutamate, a major excitatory transmitter. Participation of glutamate in the central regulation of physiological functions. Pharmacological aspects of glutamate receptors. Glutamatergic influence of neuropsychic processes.
Required reading: the main textbooks.
Additional reading:

• Cunningham, M. D., J. W. Ferkany and S. J. Enna. Excitatory amino acid receptors: a gallery of new targets for pharmacological intervetion. Life Sciences, 1993, vol. 54, pp. 135-148.
• Fint Beal, M. Mechanisms of excitotoxicity in neurologic diseases. FASEB J. 6:3338-3344, 1992.

Topic 11: Peptidergic transmission. Classification of neuropeptides. Coordinate interaction of neuropeptides with neurotransmitters. Pharmacologicalaspects of the major neuropeptides: opioid peptides, cholecystokinin, angiotensin, vasopressin, oxytocyn, neurotensin. Peptidergic influence of neuropsychic processes.
Required reading: the main textbooks.

Topic 12: Learning and memory- basic cognitive processes. Pharmacological influence of learning and memory: cognition enchancers or nootropics. Pharmacological influence on Alzheimer disease.
Required reading: the main textbooks.
Additional reading:

• Izquierdo, I. and J. H. Medina. GABA1 modulation of memory: the role of endogenous benzodiazepines. TIPS, 1991, vol. 12, pp. 260-265.
• Bliss, T. V. P. & G. L. Collingridge. A synaptic model of memory: long- term potentiation in the hippocampus. Nature, vol. 361, 7 January, 1993.

Topic 13: The state of anxiety- neuropsychological and neuropsychopharmacological approaches.
Required reading: the main textbooks.
Additional reading:

• Gray, J. A. A neropsychological approach to anexty disorders, 1990.
• Megen, H. J. G. M et al. Cholcystokinin in anxiety. Eur. Neuropsychopharmacology, 1996, vol. 6, No. 4, 263-280.

• oral presentation;
• writing presentation;
• complex assessment of the activity in seminars.