This assignment continues your analysis of your selected neuropsychological disorder. The disorder is the same disorder you selected in Week 1 and for which you discussed its neurobiology in the Week 1 assignment (topic selection). Please remember you will continue to use the same disorder to complete the Week 6 assignment (comprehensive Critical Review of the same disorder and its management).

Reminder your completed Week 1 and Week 2 assignments will be used as a foundation to help you complete your Week 6 assignment (Critical Review) on the same disorder. Thus, your work in Week 1 and in Week 2 will be used to support your work in Week 6.

This week, please focus on the pharmacological (drug) treatment of your selected disorder. Other modes of treatment are not the focus of our class. For instance, papers that discuss psychotherapy, other than in passing, will not be given credit. In your paper, please be sure that the following aspects of your topic are discussed:

Describe the key classes of drugs used to treat your selected disorder. A class of drug usually indicates the drugs mechanism of action (how the drug exerts is pharmacological effects on the body). Be sure to explain why this class of drugs or classes of drugs would be helpful in treating your selected disorder by describing the action of these drugs on the neurotransmitter system(s) involved in the disease process. Within each class of drug, there will be one or more drugs available on the market for use in clinical management, and examples of these should be included in your discussion.
Analyze and describe the agonist-antagonist activity of the drugs, and the receptor types and subtypes on which the drugs will exert their pharmacological action. Indicate if these drugs will reverse or slow the disease process, or if they will only help ameliorate symptoms.
Close your paper with an analysis of the risk-benefit of drug use for your selected disorder. Include a discussion of how the drug class(es) would be typically used, what expected benefits would be obtained from drug use, and what common drug side effects might occur.
For Week 2, please research a minimum of three peer-reviewed or scholarly articles published within the last five-to ten years. These references are in addition to those used in the Week 1 written assignment, and should focus on pharmacological (drug) treatment of your selected disorder. These sources should provide evidence-based information to help support your analysis, focusing on the aspects described above. Be sure to cite your sources in your paper and include them on your References page. You may utilize required or recommended course materials in your work, but these will not count towards the reference requirements; however, you may cite and reference the DSM-5 as one of your sources used for the grading credit.

The paper:

Must be three to five double-spaced pages in length, excluding title page and references page, and it must be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. (Links to an external site.)
Must include a title page with the following:
Title of paper
Your name
Course name and number
Your instructors name
Date submitted
Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
Must use at least three peer-reviewed or scholarly sources published within the last five-ten years. You may utilize required or recommended course materials in your work, but these will not count towards the reference requirements; however, you may cite and reference the DSM-5 as one of your sources used for the grading credit.
Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.) for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.