Table of Contents

1. Some Basic Pharmacology
2. Behavioral Analysis of Drug Effects
3. How We Adapt to Drugs: Tolerance, Sensitization, and Expectation
4. Neurophysiology, Neurotransmitters, and the Nervous System
5. Substance Use and Addictive Disorders
6. Alcohol
7. Anxiolytics and Sedative-Hypnotics
8. Tobacco and Nicotine
9. Caffeine and the Methylxanthines
10. Psychomotor Stimulants
11. Opioids
12. Antipsychotic Drugs
13. Antidepressants
14. Cannabis
15. Hallucinogens, Psychedelics, and Club Drugs

About the Author

Stephanie Hancock holds a Doctorate in Experimental Psychology with a focus on Behavioral Neuroscience. She is a seasoned lecturer, having taught a wide range of psychology courses — including introductory classes on general themes; topic-specific courses on drugs and behavior, biopsychology, abnormal psychology, social psychology, and educational psychology; and upper-level classes in research methods and statistics. Stephanie’s research interests include drug and behavioral addictions; psychological disorders, especially stress-related and eating disorders; and the impact of early-life experiences on the development of psychopathologies. She collaborates with neuroscientists, psychologists, social workers, educators, and pharmacists on a variety of research projects, some involving laboratory animals and others involving people.

Stephanie grew up in Labrador, Canada, where her natural curiosity and independent spirit were nurtured in one of North America’s last truly wild places. She currently resides in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where she conducts research in the School of Pharmacy at Memorial University. Stephanie has a deep appreciation for rats, loves the British spelling of “behaviour”, and greatly values the capacity of red wine and dark chocolate to hijack the brain’s reward system. She is eternally grateful for the guidance and encouragement of her colleagues (Bill McKim among them), and for the love and support of her family.