Depressive Disorder

Neuropsychological Disorder three to four double-spaced pages (excluding title and reference pages). Select a neuropsychological disorder from the following list, which is based on the DSM-5:

1. Schizophrenia
2. Major depressive disorder
3. Bipolar disorder
4. Anxiety
   • Choose and focus on one of the anxiety disorders, e.g., generalized anxiety disorder or social anxiety disorder.
5. Post-traumatic stress disorder
6. Obsessive-compulsive disorder
7. Substance use disorder (substance abuse and addiction)
   • Provide both an overview of this topic plus a focus on a single drug of your choice.
8. Neurodevelopmental disorder (autism spectrum disorder or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)
9. Neurocognitive disorder
   • Choose and focus on one of the neurocognitive disorders, e.g., one of the dementias.
10. Neurological disorder
    • Choose and focus on one neurological disorder, e.g., multiple sclerosis, spina bifida.
11. Feeding and eating disorder
    • Choose and focus on one of the feeding and eating disorders.
12. Sexual dysfunction or gender dysphoria
    • Choose and focus on one of the conditions in these categories.

After choosing a disorder, your assignment should include an examination of:

• A description of the pathological features and clinical criteria for diagnosis
• The biopsychological theories of the pathology
• Nervous system structure(s), neurotransmitter(s), receptor(s), and pathways implicated in the disorder
• Possible causes (etiology), including genetic, environmental, familial, lifestyle, and other identifiable risk factors
• Epidemiology of the disorder (demographics of those affected)
• Clinical presentation and natural history of the condition
• Potential complications (neurologic, psychiatric, and other medical or nonmedical)
• Current treatment options (pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic)
• Future directions for research and clinical management

In keeping with the focus of this class, the emphasis of your paper will be on the following neuroscience aspects of the disorder:

• Theories of etiology (causes)
• Associated factors in development of the disorder (genetic, environmental, familial, lifestyle)
• Pathology (abnormalities of physical structure and function, including genetic and biochemical aspects)
• Treatment options (pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic, with rationales for use based on current understanding of the disorder)
• Diagnostic and research technologies employed in clinical diagnosis, care, and basic science research

Your assignment must include an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement as well as a conclusion summarizing your synthesis of the above issues relating to the disorder.