Psychopharmacology: Current Trends: Current Trends (Psychopharmacology Series, 5)

The landmark description by Delay and Deniker in 1952 of chlorpromazine's effect in psychosis suddenly eclipsed all other progress in psychopharmacology over the previous centuries. Since this report 35 years ago, a vast amount of research has contributed to the major advances in treatment that have improved the lives of millions of patients who would otherwise be incapacitated by their psychiatric disorders. This research has also led to valuable new insights into the causes of mental illnesses and the mechanisms of action of therapeutic drugs. However, there is much more work to be done. Thus, it is of great value periodically to assess the present state of knowledge as a first step to charting future directions. This symposium held in Denmark in 1987 covered many critical issues in psychopharmacology. The etiology, pathogenetic mechanisms, clinical aspects, and future directions of research in schizophrenia, affective disorders, anxiety, and dementia are addressed. Several of the problems with current therapeutic agents, such as side effects and limited efficacy, are also reviewed. Preclinical strategies with existing and new animal and computer models are discussed to point the way for developing better psychopharmacologic treatments of all psychiatric disorders. Front Matter....Pages I-IX Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Reflections on the History of Psychopharmacology....Pages 3-11 Receptor Interactions of Dopamine and Serotonin Antagonists: Binding In Vitro and In Vivo and Receptor Regulation....Pages 12-26 PET Scanning — A New Tool in Clinical Psychopharmacology....Pages 27-33 Pharmacokinetics of Neuroleptic Drugs and the Utility of Plasma Level Monitoring....Pages 34-46 Neuroleptic Drugs in the Treatment of Acute Psychosis: How Much Do We Really Know?....Pages 47-61 Observations on the Use of Depot Neuroleptics in Schizophrenia....Pages 62-73 Neuroleptic Side Effects: Acute Extrapyramidal Syndromes and Tardive Dyskinesia....Pages 74-93 Future Treatment of Schizophrenia....Pages 94-104 A Clinician’s Comments on Current Trends in Psychopharmacology of Schizophrenia....Pages 105-110 Front Matter....Pages 111-111 Treating Depression in Acute Stage: Biochemical and Clinical Aspects....Pages 113-117 Pharmacological Management of Treatment-Resistant Depression....Pages 118-129 Is There a Long-Term Protective Effect of Mood-Altering Agents in Unipolar Depressive Disorder?....Pages 130-139 Lithium in Manic-Depressive Illness: Plusses, Pitfalls, and Perspectives....Pages 140-146 Basic and Clinical Aspects of the Activity of the New Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors....Pages 147-158 Unsolved Problems in the Pharmacotherapy of Depression....Pages 159-165 Front Matter....Pages 167-167 Long-Term Treatment of Anxiety: Benefits and Drawbacks....Pages 169-179 Future Directions in Anxiety Research....Pages 180-186 Dementia: Classification and Aspects of Treatment....Pages 187-195 Test Models and New Directions in Dementia Research....Pages 196-203 On Current Research in Affective Disorders....Pages 204-205 Back Matter....Pages 207-212 This volume reports on the latest clinical and basic science information on schizophrenia, affective disorders, anxiety and dementia. Each author, a leading expert in his field, offers an up-to-date review of his topic. The chapters combine new findings with established knowledge, allowing clinicians to gain new insights and practical guidance for both the vexing and routine problems of current psychiatric patient cases. Researchers will also benefit from the chapters on receptor regulation, neuroimaging and new approaches to advanced drug development