Classification of Psychoactive Drugs
Definition
Psychopharmacology may be defined as the study of drugs that affect the mental state.
Current Concepts and State of Knowledge
Introduction
By convention, the term psychopharmacology is applied to drugs that are used to treat psychiatric disorders. Such drugs are termed psychotropic drugs. Psychopharmacology is usually grouped with the discipline of neuropharmacology which is concerned with the application of drugs for the treatment of neurologically based disorders. In reality, these areas often overlap. For example, several antiepileptic drugs are used in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Perhaps a more general term should be used to cover all pharmacologically active substances that directly influence brain function.
What is the historical basis for the classification of psychotropic drugs? The link between psychotropic drugs and modern psychiatry can be traced back to the father of European psychiatry, Emil Kraepelin who, in 1882, undertook a research program in the...
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