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Brain in Trouble-Period 2
Social Sciences & Humanities Program
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dates: mid Aug 2025 - late Dec 2025
Brain in Trouble-Period 2
OVERVIEW
CEA CAPA Partner Institution: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Primary Subject Area: Neuroscience
Instruction in: English
Course Code: AB_1038
Transcript Source: Partner Institution
Course Details: Level 300
Recommended Semester Credits: 3
Contact Hours: 84
Prerequisites: The courses 'Cognitive Neuroscience' and 'Nature vs. Nurture' from the minor 'Brain & Mind'
DESCRIPTION
The focus of this course is on the etiology of mental disorders, such as addiction, ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, mood disorders and anti-social personality disorder, with special attention to the nature-nurture discussion. Various treatments options for these conditions will be discussed, including the use of pharmacological agents, behavioral therapy and deep brain stimulation. Students will be challenged to critically reflect on the boundaries between normality and abnormality and the implications for society.
First Theme: addiction and impulsivity
What is addiction? Is addiction truly a brain disorder? Do genes play a role in addiction? How does society view illicit drug use and addiction? Are all drugs equally harmful? How to treat addiction? Is ADHD a real mental disorder, or a cultural construct used to bring deviant orsocially undesirable behavior under medical surveillance and control? Is it a good idea to treat children who have been diagnosed ADHD, with psychostimulant medications? What is the role of pharmaceutical companies? Do sugar and food additives elicit hyperactive behavior? Are there any advantages in having ADHD?
Second Theme: obsessive compulsive disorders, eating disorders and cognitive enhancement
Can you treat OCD with Deep Brain Stimulation? Is our Western beauty ideal at the root of eating disorders? Is the individual to blame for being obese? Is it ethical to improve your mental performance bycognitive enhancers?
Third Theme: mood disorders & social behaviours
Is depression a real brain disorder or an inability of our culture to accept sadness as an integral part of life? Do genes play a role in the etiology of major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder? What is the efficacy of pharmacotherapy and behavioral therapy? What is the role of pharmaceutical companies? Is there a neural basis to antisocial behavior? If biology and circumstance conspire to prime certain individuals toward violence, how much responsibility do people really bear for their actions? Are violent delinquents worth treating? Should brain imaging / genetic profiling be used in legal cases? Can neuroscience assist in determining responsibility? If neural circuitry underlying morality is compromised, is it morally wrong to punish prisoners? Are there positive aspects to psychiatric disorders?
Contact hours listed under a course description may vary due to the combination of lecture-based and independent work required for each course therefore, CEA's recommended credits are based on the ECTS credits assigned by VU Amsterdam. 1 ECTS equals 28 contact hours assigned by VU Amsterdam.
First Theme: addiction and impulsivity
What is addiction? Is addiction truly a brain disorder? Do genes play a role in addiction? How does society view illicit drug use and addiction? Are all drugs equally harmful? How to treat addiction? Is ADHD a real mental disorder, or a cultural construct used to bring deviant orsocially undesirable behavior under medical surveillance and control? Is it a good idea to treat children who have been diagnosed ADHD, with psychostimulant medications? What is the role of pharmaceutical companies? Do sugar and food additives elicit hyperactive behavior? Are there any advantages in having ADHD?
Second Theme: obsessive compulsive disorders, eating disorders and cognitive enhancement
Can you treat OCD with Deep Brain Stimulation? Is our Western beauty ideal at the root of eating disorders? Is the individual to blame for being obese? Is it ethical to improve your mental performance bycognitive enhancers?
Third Theme: mood disorders & social behaviours
Is depression a real brain disorder or an inability of our culture to accept sadness as an integral part of life? Do genes play a role in the etiology of major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder? What is the efficacy of pharmacotherapy and behavioral therapy? What is the role of pharmaceutical companies? Is there a neural basis to antisocial behavior? If biology and circumstance conspire to prime certain individuals toward violence, how much responsibility do people really bear for their actions? Are violent delinquents worth treating? Should brain imaging / genetic profiling be used in legal cases? Can neuroscience assist in determining responsibility? If neural circuitry underlying morality is compromised, is it morally wrong to punish prisoners? Are there positive aspects to psychiatric disorders?
Contact hours listed under a course description may vary due to the combination of lecture-based and independent work required for each course therefore, CEA's recommended credits are based on the ECTS credits assigned by VU Amsterdam. 1 ECTS equals 28 contact hours assigned by VU Amsterdam.