Week 1: Introduction to Neuroanatomy
The human brain is organized into the cerebral cortex, brainstem, subcortical structures, and the cerebellum. These anatomical structures are made of inter-connected elements that create distributed and highly inter-connected circuits. It is in these circuits where cognition, behavior, and affect are processed.

—Camprodon, J. A., & Roffman, J. L. (2016, p. 6)

By using a combination of psychotherapy and medication therapy, psychiatric nurse practitioners (PNP) are positioned to provide a very unique type of care to patients with psychiatric disorders. To be successful in this role, you must have a strong theoretical foundation in pathophysiology, psychopharmacology, and neuroscience. This foundation will help you assess, diagnose, and treat patients as you relate presenting symptoms to theoretical neuronal functioning.

This week, as you begin to study psychopharmacology, you will explore the basic functional unit of the nervous system, the neuron. You will review the structure of the neuron and you will examine the anatomy of the central nervous system and consider the functionality of the different structure and outward (phenotypic) expression of their activities. You will analyze these concepts as you complete your short answer assessment for this week.
Reference:
Camprodon, J. A., & Roffman, J. L. (2016). Psychiatric neuroscience: Incorporating pathophysiology into clinical case formulation. In T. A. Stern, M. Favo, T. E. Wilens, & J. F. Rosenbaum. (Eds.), Massachusetts General Hospital psychopharmacology and neurotherapeutics (pp. 1–19). Elsevier.

Learning Objectives
Students will:

Describe the functions and structures of the central nervous system
Describe the different structures that make up the neuron
Explain the function of neurons in intracellular communication
Learning Resources

ASSIGNMENT

Assignment: Short Answer Assessment
As a psychiatric nurse practitioner, before you can recommend potential pharmacotherapeutics to address a patient’s condition or disorder, you must understand the basic function and structure of the neuron and central nervous system. For this Assignment, you will review and apply your understanding of neuroanatomy by addressing a set of short answer prompts.

To Prepare:
Review the Learning Resources for this week in preparation to complete this Assignment.
Reflect on the basic function and structure of the neuron in relation to the central nervous system.
Reflect on the inter-connectedness between neurons and the central nervous system, including the pathway and distribution of electrical impulses.
Reflect on how neurons communicate with each other and review the concept of neuroplasticity.

To complete:
Address the following Short Answer prompts for your Assignment. Be sure to include references to the Learning Resources for this week.

In 4 or 5 sentences, describe the anatomy of the basic unit of the nervous system, the neuron. Include each part of the neuron and a general overview of electrical impulse conduction, the pathway it travels, and the net result at the termination of the impulse. Be specific and provide examples.
Answer the following (listing is acceptable for these questions):
What are the major components that make up the subcortical structures?
Which component plays a role in learning, memory, and addiction?
What are the two key neurotransmitters located in the nigra striatal region of the brain that play a major role in motor control?
In 3 or 4 sentences, explain how glia cells function in the central nervous system. Be specific and provide examples.
The synapse is an area between two neurons that allows for chemical communication. In 3 or 4 sentences, explain what part of the neurons are communicating with each other and in which direction does this communication occur? Be specific.
In 3–5 sentences, explain the concept of “neuroplasticity.” Be specific and provide examples.
Week 1: Introduction to Neuroanatomy
The human brain is organized into the cerebral cortex, brainstem, subcortical structures, and the cerebellum. These anatomical structures are made of inter-connected elements that create distributed and highly inter-connected circuits. It is in these circuits where cognition, behavior, and affect are processed.

—Camprodon, J. A., & Roffman, J. L. (2016, p. 6)

By using a combination of psychotherapy and medication therapy, psychiatric nurse practitioners (PNP) are positioned to provide a very unique type of care to patients with psychiatric disorders. To be successful in this role, you must have a strong theoretical foundation in pathophysiology, psychopharmacology, and neuroscience. This foundation will help you assess, diagnose, and treat patients as you relate presenting symptoms to theoretical neuronal functioning.

LEARNING RESOURCES
Camprodon, J. A., & Roffman, J. L. (2016). Psychiatric neuroscience: Incorporating pathophysiology into clinical case formulation. In T. A. Stern, M. Favo, T. E. Wilens, & J. F. Rosenbaum. (Eds.), Massachusetts General Hospital psychopharmacology and neurotherapeutics (pp. 1–19). Elsevier.

I AM TRYING TO PURCHASE THE BOOK. CANT FIND IT ON AMAZON, SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET IT OFFLINE FROM THE SCHOOL BUT HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. AWAITING A CALL TO ASSIST WITH TECHNICAL SUPPORT. THANKS.

REQUIRED MEDIA in transcript
Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of Psychopathology: Course Introduction
Psychopharmacologic Approaches to Treatment of
Psychopathology: Course Introduction
Program Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
NARRATOR: Despite the fact that our understanding of the human body
continues to advance with greater degrees of sophistication, our understanding
of the human brain is less thorough. The human brain is the focal point of two
very important fields of medicine, specifically neurology and psychiatry. However,
in this course, it is the latter with which we will concern ourselves.
This course begins with a comprehensive overview of the functioning of the
neuron, the foundational unit of the nervous system. Our emphasis will focus on
the role of neurotransmitters and how they facilitate interneuronal
communication. A variety of pathological states, collectively known as psychiatric
illnesses, may be the result of abnormalities in the way in which
neurotransmitters are synthesized or released.
Sometimes, the origin of psychiatric illness isn’t the neurotransmitter synthesis or
release, rather the way in which the neurotransmitter is transported or a problem
with the receptor of the target cell that the neurotransmitter is attempting to cause
a change in. Still other times, psychiatric conditions could arise from the
presence of too much neurotransmitter in certain areas of the brain. It is with this
complex collection of theoretical malfunctions that the field of
psychopharmacology concerns itself.
The psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner must be aware of the theoretical
neuronal tracts of the brain, which have been implicated in the production of a
wide variety of psychiatric symptoms. The emphasis of contemporary
psychopharmacology is the matching of symptoms to theoretically malfunctioning
neuronal tracts. When symptoms are appropriately matched to theoretical brain
structures reported to be responsible for expression of a variety of psychiatric
illnesses, the psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner will be capable of
selecting the correct medications to alleviate problematic symptoms.
This course will require you to call upon your background as a professional nurse
working with a wide range of patient populations. It will build on your knowledge
of pathophysiology and pharmacology and will challenge you to develop expert
knowledge in the field of psychopharmacology. Without this foundational
knowledge base, you will not be able to meet the demands of later courses in this
program, which will confront you with even more complex challenges. In short,
your education as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner truly begins here.

RUBRIC
Rubric Detail

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Name: NURS_6630_Week1_Assignment_Rubric
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List View
Excellent

Point range: 90–100 Good

Point range: 80–89 Fair

Point range: 70–79 Poor

Point range: 0–69
In 4 or 5 sentences, describe the anatomy of the basic unit of the nervous sytem, the neuron. Include each part of the neuron and a general overview of electrical impulse conduction, the pathway it travels, and the net result at the termination of the impulse. Be specific and provide examples.
12 (16%) – 13 (17.33%)
The response accurately and clearly describes in detail the anatomy of the neuron. The response accurately and clearly describes in detail each part of the neuron, and it includes a detailed explanation of the general overview of electrical impulse conduction, the pathway it travels, and the net result at the termination of the impulse.

Examples fully support the response provided.
11 (14.67%) – 11 (14.67%)
The response accurately describes the anatomy of the neuron. The response accurately describes each part of the neuron, and it includes a general overview of electrical impulse conduction, the pathway it travels, and the net result at the termination of the impulse.

Examples support the response provided.
10 (13.33%) – 10 (13.33%)
The response provides an inaccurate or vague description of the anatomy of the neuron. The response inaccurately or vaguely describes each part of the neuron, and it includes an inaccurate or vague overview of electrical impulse conduction, the pathway it travels, and the net result at the termination of the impulse.

Examples vaguely support the response provided.
0 (0%) – 9 (12%)
The response provides an inaccurate or incomplete description of the anatomy of the neuron, or is missing. The response inaccurately or incompletely describes each part of the neuron, and it includes an inaccurate or vague overview of electrical impulse conduction, the pathway it travels, and the net result at the termination of the impulse, or is missing.

Examples do not support the response provided, or is missing.
Answer the following (listing is acceptable for these questions):

a. What are the major components that make up the subcortical structures?
b. Which component plays a role in learning, memory, and addiction?
c. What are the two key neurotransmitters located in the nigra striatal region of the brain that play a major role in motor control?
12 (16%) – 13 (17.33%)
The response accurately and clearly details the major components that make up the subcortical structures.

The response accurately and clearly details which component plays a role in learning, memory, and addiction.

The response accurately and clearly identifies the two neurotransmitters located in the nigra striatal region of the brain that play a major role in motor control.
11 (14.67%) – 11 (14.67%)
The response accurately identifies the major components that make up the subcortical structures.

The response accurately identifies which component plays a role in learning, memory, and addiction.

The response accurately identifies the two neurotransmitters located in the nigra striatal region of the brain that play a major role in motor control.
10 (13.33%) – 10 (13.33%)
The response inaccurately identifies the major components that make up the subcortical structures.

The response inaccurately identifies which component plays a role in learning, memory, and addiction.

The response inaccurately identifies two neurotransmitters located in the nigra striatal region of the brain that play a major role in motor control.
0 (0%) – 9 (12%)
The response inaccurately and incompletely identifies the major components that make up the subcortical structures, or is missing.

The response inaccurately and incompletely identifies which component plays a role in learning, memory, and addiction, or is missing.

The response inaccurately and incompletely identifies two neurotransmitters in the nigra striatal region of the brain that play a major role in motor control, or is missing.
In 3 or 4 sentences, explain how glia cells function in the central nervous system. Be specific and provide examples.
12 (16%) – 13 (17.33%)
The response accurately and clearly explains in detail how glia cells function in the central nervous system.

Examples fully support the response provided.
11 (14.67%) – 11 (14.67%)
The response accurately explains how glia cells function in the central nervous system.

Examples support the response provided.
10 (13.33%) – 10 (13.33%)
The response inaccurately or vaguely explains how glia cells function in the central nervous system.

Examples inaccurately or vaguely support the response provided.
0 (0%) – 9 (12%)
The response inaccurately and vaguely explains how glia cells function in the central nervous system, or is missing.

Examples do not support the response provided, or is missing.
The synapse is an area between two neurons that allows for chemical communication. In 3 or 4 sentences, explain what part of the neurons are communicating with each other and in which direction does this communication occur? Be specific.
12 (16%) – 13 (17.33%)
The response accurately and clearly explains in detail the part of the neurons that communicate with each other and the direction in which this communication occurs.
11 (14.67%) – 11 (14.67%)
The response accurately explains the part of the neurons that communicate with each other and the direction in which this communication occurs.
10 (13.33%) – 10 (13.33%)
The response inaccurately or vaguely explains the part of the neurons that communicate with each other and the direction in which this communication occurs.
0 (0%) – 9 (12%)
The response inaccurately and vaguely explains the part of the neurons that communicate with each other and the direction in which this communication occurs, or is missing.
In 3–5 sentences, explain the concept of “neuroplasticity.” Be specific and provide examples.
12 (16%) – 13 (17.33%)
The response accurately and clearly explains in detail the concept of neuroplasticity.

Examples provided fully support the response provided.
11 (14.67%) – 11 (14.67%)
The response accurately explains the concept of neuroplasticity.

Examples provided support the response provided.
10 (13.33%) – 10 (13.33%)
The response inaccurately or vaguely explains the concept of neuroplasticity.

Examples inaccurately or vaguely support the response provided.
0 (0%) – 9 (12%)
The response inaccurately and vaguely explains the concept of neuroplasticity, or is missing.

Examples do not support the response provided, or is missing.
Written Expression and Formatting – English writing standards:
Correct grammar, mechanics, and proper punctuation
5 (6.67%) – 5 (6.67%)
Uses correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation with no errors.
4 (5.33%) – 4 (5.33%)
Contains a few (1 or 2) grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
3.5 (4.67%) – 3.5 (4.67%)
Contains several (3 or 4) grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
0 (0%) – 2 (2.67%)
Contains many (≥ 5) grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors that interfere with the reader’s understanding.
Written Expression and Formatting – The paper follows correct APA format for title page, headings, font, spacing, margins, indentations, page numbers, parenthetical/in-text citations, and reference list.
5 (6.67%) – 5 (6.67%)
Uses correct APA format with no errors.
4 (5.33%) – 4 (5.33%)
Contains a few (1 or 2) APA format errors.
3.5 (4.67%) – 3.5 (4.67%)
Contains several (3 or 4) APA format errors.
0 (0%) – 2 (2.67%)
Contains many (≥ 5) APA format errors.
Total Points: 75
Name: NURS_6630_Week1_Assignment_Rubric