Psychopharmacology and the Nervous System: Telling a digital story with animation

Contributors

Faculty

Olga Dergacheva, Ph.D.
Associate Research Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology 
School of Medicine and Health Sciences
The George Washington University

Team Members

Richard Graham, Ph.D.
Instructional Designer
Center for Teaching Excellence
The George Washington University

Cristabel Ocasio Ilarraza, M.A.
Instructional Designer
Center for Teaching Excellence
The George Washington University

Nikodimos Fikru, M.A.
Senior Multimedia Producer
Center for Teaching Excellence
The George Washington University

GW-Adobe Science Education Initiative Program Leads

Jason Torres, Ed.D.
Director, Digital Learning
Center for Teaching Excellence
The George Washington University

Sylvain Guiriec, Ph.D.
Physics Innovation Lab
Assistant Professor of Physics
Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Physics
The George Washington University

Project information

Audience

The intended audience for this lesson is undergraduate psychology, neurology and nursing students.

Learning objectives

• Demonstrate communicating visually through an animation the core knowledge of the organization and function of the nervous system.
• Apply learned concepts of pharmacodynamics in a context of animated video.
• Illustrate specific drug action – exogenous and endogenous – in the central nervous system.
• Explain complex topics of neurotransmission using visual aids and animation.
• Organize learned material of psychoactive drug actions as a coherent story of an animated video.

Purpose

The purpose of this activity is to illustrate the neurological processes and sometimes adverse events that occur as a result of drug interactions. Through this lesson and activity, learners will utilize creative digital media to communicate concepts related to the effects of pharmaceuticals on the nervous system. Learners will create a short 1-2 minute video animation whereby they explain in their own words a scientific concept of their choosing and show the neurological processes it entails through creative digital media such as animation. Learners will engage this activity in time outside of an in-person class, remotely or through online learning environments.

Background

Psychopharmacology is the study of how exogenous (administered) drugs interact with endogenous neuronal transmission in the brain and affect brain function. Psychopharmacology also studies how substances derived from plants or chemically synthesize agents influence different mental states altering mood, sensation and thinking. Psychopharmacology focuses on different types of psychoactive drugs including therapeutic agents and drugs of abuse. Therapeutic agents (medication) are widely used for treating psychiatric illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia as well as for pain control (narcotics).

This field of study emphasizes chemical and physiological alterations in brain function in individuals with mental disorders and discusses the mechanisms by which drug treatment affects the brain. To understand psychopharmacology, an extensive understanding of basic neuroscience and core concepts of pharmacology is required. Some knowledge that learners are expected to possess includes:

1. The nervous system structure and function: The nervous system consists of the central nervous system, which is composed of the brain and the spinal cord; and the peripheral nervous system, which is composed of nerves that branch off from the spinal cord and extend to all parts of the body. Nerve cells (i.e. neurons), are composed of an axion, dendrites and a soma. A collection of neurons connected to one another is called a neural circuitry.
2. Neurotransmission: Neurotransmitters are molecules that regulate brain function. They are chemicals, which relay messages from nerve to nerve both within the brain and outside the brain. They also relay messages from nerve to muscle, organ or gland. Neurotransmitters are used all over the body to transmit information and signals. They are manufactured and used by neurons and are released into the synaptic clefts between the neurons.
3. Pharmacodynamics: Pharmacodynamics is a branch of pharmacology dealing with the biochemical and physiologic effects of drugs. Is concerned with drug-receptor interactions and explains the biochemical and physiological effects of chemical substances on the nervous system. Key aspects to this are examining how two or more drugs interact and the relationship between dose and response.

To this end, this learning activity aims to explore neurological processes in the human brain and/or the effects of various chemicals/medications on human neurological processes. This is pursued through learner driven digital storytelling using both a combination of images and narration to produce an animated video demonstrating an internal neurological process related to psychopharmacology.

General assignment

Lesson activity: Visualizing a psychopharmacology concept

Central to this lesson is the creation of a short 1-2 minute video animation illustrating a scientific concept introduced in this course. The purpose is to allow learners to increase their depth of understanding with a selected complex scientific concept. And as a result, adding an element of joyfulness by creating an opportunity for storytelling with animated videos.

Learners will explain complex concepts related to psychopharmacology with the use of combined graphics, video, and narration. The central goal will be to creatively communicate knowledge of a selected topic. To complete the activity, learners will follow the listed steps:

Step 1: Select 1 topic and design for a story

• Neuron Resting Potential
  • Tell about: At rest, the neuron is polarized since there are relatively more sodium ions outside the neuron and more potassium ions inside that neuron.
• The Action Potential
  • Tell about: Depolarization of the neuron occurs when the inside of the cell becomes positively charged.
• The Nerve Impulse
  • Tell about: A reversal of the electrical gradient across the plasma membrane of a resting neuron.
• The Chemical Synapse
  • Tell about: A small gap between two neurons, where nerve impulses are relayed by a neurotransmitter from the axon of a presynaptic neuron to the dendrite of a postsynaptic neuron.
• Neurotransmission in the Brain
  • Tell about: Neurotransmitters transmit messages between neurons or from neurons to muscles.
• Drug receptors and binding
  • Tell about: Drugs work because by binding to the target receptor site, they can either block the physiological function of the endogenous neurotransmitter, or mimic its effect.
• Dopamine Reward System
  • Tell about: Effect of dopamine on the brain, including emotions and behaviors.
• Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors: Mechanism of Action
  • Tell about: SSRIs exert action by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin, thereby increasing serotonin activity.
• Antipsychotic Drugs: Mechanism of Action
  • Tell about: Antipsychotics typically work by inhibiting dopaminergic neurotransmission.
• Understanding How the Brain Responds to Natural Rewards and Drugs of Abuse
  • Tell about: Dopamine surges in response to natural rewards help the brain learn and adapt to a complex world. Drugs of abuse affect the brain much more dramatically than natural rewards.

Step 2: Draft storyboard

With a topic selected, learners will create a slide deck to visually organize the sequence of the animations with a clear beginning and end. This slide deck (i.e. storyboard) will serve as the basis for designing how the animation and video that tells the story of the topic is constructed.

1. Plan to create a slide for every scene (or animation build) in your story. For example, layout a deck with 10 slides at the start.
2. Use the header of each slide to label it “Scene: <action in the scene>”.
3. Include images and/or drawings in the body of the slide to show what will happen during the given scene.
4. Provide text on the slide that could be used to help the viewer follow the story.
5. Include some notes in the notes section that capture thoughts on each slide/scene. (These can be used in the subsequent step to help construct the script.)

Example storyboard – Topic 1: Neuron Resting Potential

The neuron storyboard. The progression of a single neuron with annotations about its parts, the electrical signal transmission along the neuron, the arrival of the signal at the synapse, and the neurotransmitter release. Panel 1: The neuron storyboard. Panel 2: Neuron structure. Panel 3: Signal transmission. Panel 4: Synapse function. Panel 5: Neurotransmitter release. Panel 6: Signal propagation. Panel 7: Overview of progress from signal generation to neurotransmitter release. Panel 8: Network communication of multiple neurons interacting at synapses.

Step 3: Write a 100-200 word script explaining the concept

With the storyboard created, learners will write a script that provides the voice-over to the visual organization previously crafted. Writing the script before creating the animation and video can help guide that creative process and save time if the idea is clear. However, if the idea could still use some shaping beyond the storyboard, then the animation and video may be created with a script written and recorded afterwards.

1. Plan to write 100-200 words for a 1-2 minute video.
2. Create a document and create headers that correspond to the scene headers in the storyboard.
3. Write a targeted message that is clear and concise. Look to craft a message that uses keywords related to the topic and presents a logical and linear flow of thought.
4. Include language to address key parts of the animation such as how something appears/comes on on-screen. 

Step 4: Create an animation using Adobe Animate

With the storyboard created and the script drafted it is time to create the visual story. Tell the story with Adobe Animate and use this software to make the initial drawings followed by animated simple movements on-screen.

1. Install and run the latest version of Adobe Animate.
2. Launch the application and become familiar with the software using one of the Adobe hands-on tutorials. (These will appear on the start screen. And can always be accessed in the ‘Help’ menu.)
3. Open animate and select “Create New” (see image below)
4. Select which type of document / medium to use. Advanced > HTML Canvas is the best option (see image below).
5. Become familiar with the menu (see image below).

6. With the animation completed, export it as an mp4 file for use in Adobe Rush.

Animation steps example – Topic 1: Neuron Resting Potential

1. Open a new animate document.
2. Copy and paste an image of the drawing neuron on the stage using the default layer. Name this layer “Basic."
3. Create a new layer and name it “Voice” and import recorded voice. Keep in mind what you want to be happening on screen at different points in relation to your voice recorded. 

Screenshot of the Adobe Animate start panel interface. At the top left is the Adobe Animate logo with the abbreviation "An" inside a purple square. Below the logo, the interface has two options: "Create new" and "Open." In the main area of the panel, it welcomes the user by name, here shown as "Cristabel," and offers quick start file options such as "Full HD," "Android 16:9," "Banner," "iPad 3-4 Gen," "Canvas," along with "More Presets." These options are represented by icons and are meant to create new files with predefined dimensions. To the right, there's a section titled "Check out what's new" featuring a thumbnail of a tutorial or feature update video. Below the quick start options is a section labeled "Recent" for recently accessed files, though no files are visible in the provided image.

The image is a screenshot of the Adobe Animate interface during the new document creation process. The Adobe Animate logo "An" is in the top left corner, with navigation options "Home," "Create new," and "Open" on the left sidebar, which is highlighted in blue indicating the current selection is "Create new."

In the central area, there are categories for new document types with icons above for "Character Animation," "Social," "Game," "Education," "Ads," and "Web." To the far right, there's a tab named "Advanced," which seems to be selected. Below these categories, there are platform options for the new document, with "HTML5 Canvas" selected, highlighted in blue, among other options like "ActionScript 3.0," "AIR for Desktop," "AIR for iOS," and "AIR for Android."

On the right side of the screenshot, there's a "New Document" dialog box with fields to specify document details such as "Width" (550), "Height" (400), "Units" (Pixels), and "Frame Rate" (24.00). Below these settings, there's descriptive text about HTML5 Canvas and buttons to "Make Default" for these settings or to "Create" the new document.

The image shows the main working area of Adobe Animate with a new document open. On the left side, the toolbar displays various tools for creating and editing content, such as selection, text, and shapes. In the center, there's a white canvas titled "Untitled-1 (Canvas)" indicating the document type, with "Scene 1" tab above it.

At the top, the menu bar includes standard options such as file, edit, and view. On the right, the Properties panel is open, showing details for the current document: "Untitled-1," categorized as an "HTML5 Canvas Document." Below, there are sections for "Publish Settings" and "Document Settings," with the latter revealing width (W) as 550, height (H) as 400, and frame rate (FPS) as 24.

At the bottom, the timeline is displayed with "Layer 1" selected and the playhead at the first frame, marked as "1 F." The timeline tools and controls for playing the animation are situated below the frame numbers.

 4. Select which type of document / medium to use. Advanced > HTML Canvas is the best option (see first screenshot of Adobe Animate interface).

 5. Become familiar with the menu (see first screenshot of Adobe Animate interface).

 6. With the animation completed, export it as an mp4 file for use in Adobe Rush.

Animation steps example 

1. Open a new animate document.
2. Copy and paste an image of the drawing neuron on the stage using the default layer. Name this layer “Basic”.
3. Create a new layer and name it “Voice” and import recorded voice. Keep in mind what you want to be happening on screen at different points in relation to your voice recorded.
4. Create a new layer and name it “Soma.”  Apply a color fill and then color transition using shape tween function to highlight the soma of the neuron. Adjust timing according to the voice-over.
5. Create a new layer and name it “Dendrites.” Apply a color fill and then color transition using shape tween function to highlight the dendrites. Adjust timing according to the voice-over.
6. Create a new layer “Axon.” Apply a color fill and then color transition using shape tween function to highlight the axon of the neuron. Adjust timing according to the voice-over.
7. Create a few layers “Arrow 1, 2 …” Draw arrows in each layer and make these arrows move from the top of the dendrites towards the soma by creating classic tween.  Adjust timing according to the voice-over.
8. Create a new layer and name it “Axon arrow.” Draw an arrow at the beginning of the axon and make this arrow move towards the end of the axon using the classic tween function. Adjust timing according to the voice-over.

Step 5: Record the voiceover and edit using Adobe Rush

When the animation is completed, use Adobe Rush to pull together the animation and the narrative to create a video. Using Adobe Rush, import the animation video file (*.mp4). This will become the video track. Next, create the audio track.

1. Go back to the script, review it and make edits based on the work done creating the animation. Ensure the script and the animation are in alignment.
2. Practice reading the script and time the reading. (Note key parts to emphasize concepts and/or animations on-screen.)
3. Find a quiet space for you and your computer. Be sure that you have a microphone or good pair of headphones that can capture audio.
4. Record the voice-over tracks in Adobe Rush. Move the play head where the recording should start, click the blue plus sign on the top-left and select ‘Voiceover.’ Look down at the timeline and there will be a track enabled for audio recording. To the far-left of this track will appear a recording button (i.e. red circle). Click this and begin recording the voiceover as the video preview plays. Once done click the recording button again.
5. With all voiceover clips captured, begin editing the video and audio tracks, making sure they align.
6. Consider where to strategically add some sound, transitions, and other visual elements.

Discussion of example outcome

See the example of telling the story of neuron resting potential. Here, notice the storyboard and the animated video (at a total of 1 minute and 27 seconds). This example represents how you may tell the visual story of the topic. The general aim is for the learner to explain in their own words and visual representations their knowledge of the key concepts within the topic of their choosing. Low to medium production value of the final animated video is sufficient.

Project output 

Neuron animation project sample.

Defined success 

There are 3 general criteria for a successful project: 1) the story is organized, 2) the information is presented coherently and logically; and 3) parts of the story have clear transitions. Additionally, the visual content must have a clear central idea and supporting details. Any provided research for the topic should be accurate, up-to-date, come from reliable sources, and appropriately cited. The subject mastery is demonstrated by the learner’s comprehension of the topic, informed commentary, and the breadth and depth of subject knowledge. Finally, the overall product is how well all of the parts of the project work together — the narrative, explanation, visual representation of the topic, etc. 

Additional resources

• Tutorials for beginners and experienced online – Adobe Animate tutorials.
• Guidance for working with Adobe Animate – Workspace and workflow.
• Guidance for working with animation layers – Creating and organizing layers.
• Guidance for working with tweens - Creating an animated action with tweening.
• Guidance for working frame-by-frame animation - Creating frame-by-frame animations.
• Guidance for working frames - Using frames and keyframes.
• How to add and refine audio online – Add and refine audio guide.
• Information on scripting: What is a storyboard?