Better than Prozac Creating the Next Generation of Psychiatric Drugs

by Barondes, Samuel H.

• ISBN13: 9780195179798
• ISBN10: 019517979X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-02-11
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Every day millions of people take psychiatric drugs. In Better Than Prozac Samuel Barondes considers the benefits and limitations of Prozac, Ritalin, Valium, Risperdal, and other widely used medications and the ways that superior ones are being created. In tracing the early history of these drugs Barondes describes the accidental observations that led to their discovery and their great impact on our view of mental illness. He goes on to show how their unexpected therapeutic effects were attributed to their influence on neurotransmitters thatcarry signals in the brain and how this guided their improvement. But Barondes reminds us that, like the originals, current psychiatric drugs don't always work, and often have negative side effects. Furthermore, none were crafted as remedies for known brain abnormalities. In contrast, the design of the drugs of the future will be based on a differentapproach: an understanding of the molecular mechanisms that give rise to specific patterns of mental symptoms. Using colorful examples of contemporary research, he shows how it is gradually leading to a new generation of psychiatric medications. A lucid evaluation of psychopharmacology, Better Than Prozac offers a deep understanding of psychiatric drugs for people who take them, those who are considering them, and those who are just fascinated by the powerful effects of these simple chemicals on our thoughts and our feelings.

Author Biography

Samuel H. Barondes, M.D., is Jeanne and Sanford Robertson Professor and Director of the Center for Neurobiology and Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. His books include Molecules and Mental Illness and Mood Genes: Hunting for Origins of Mania and Depression, both selected as "Great Brain Books" by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives.

Table of Contents

A Note on Drug Names	xi
Prologue	xiii
PART I SWEET OBLIVIOUS ANTIDOTES
1 Clara's Secret	3	(14)
2 The First Blockbuster	17	(14)
3 The Road to Prozac	31	(16)
4 Mother's Little Helper	47	(14)
5 A Spectacular Improvement	61	(18)
PART II BETTER PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC DRUGS
6 Martha's Panic	79	(16)
7 Gene Variants	95	(18)
8 Animal Psychiatry	113	(16)
9 Personalized Psychiatric Drugs	129	(12)
10 Little Things in Hand	141	(12)
11 Clara's Prospects	153	(10)
Appendix: Trade Names of Psychiatric Drugs	163	(2)
Notes	165	(18)
Bibliography	183	(20)
Acknowledgments	203	(2)
Index	205