A Primer of Drug Action A Concise Nontechnical Guide to the Actions, Uses, and Side Effects of Psychoactive Drugs, Revised and Updated

by Julien, Robert M., Ph.D.

• ISBN13: 9780805071580
• ISBN10: 080507158X
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781466851184
• Additional ISBN(s): 9780716744443, 9781429233439
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-04-01
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks
• More Book Details

Summary

Since 1975, Robert Julien's A Primer of Drug Action has been the definitive guide to the effects of psychoactive drugs on the brain and on behavior. Now fully updated, this popular guide continues to lead the way through a rapidly changing field, providing readers with a clear, contemporary, and objective look at every drug and medication that either positively or adversely affects brain function. This edition includes important new information on -Herbal medications -Drug therapy for behavioral and anxiety disorders -Clinical practice guidelines for treating psychological disorders -Depression and the action of antidepressant drugs -The use of newer anticonvulsants in the treatment of bipolar disorder, pain syndromes, and behavioral disorders -Drug therapy for children, adolescents and the elderly -"New generation" antipsychotic agents Authoritative, comprehensive, and suitable for those with little background in biology, A Primer of Drug Action is an indispensable source of information for anyone interested in drug use, abuse, and education.

Author Biography

Robert M. Julien, M.D., Ph.D., is staff anesthesiologist at St. Vincent Hospital and Medical Center in Portland, Oregon.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Part 1 Introduction to Psychopharmacology How Drugs Interact with the Body and the Brain	1	(50)
Pharmacokinetics: How Drugs Are Handled the Body	2	(21)
Drug Absorption
Drug Distribution
Termination of Drug Action
Time Course of Drug Distribution and Elimination: Concept of Drug Half-Life
Drug Half-Life, Accumulation, and Steady State
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
Drug Tolerance and Dependence
Pharmacodynamics: How Drugs Act	23	(12)
Receptors for Drug Action
Dose-Response Relationship
Drug Safety and Effectiveness
The Neuron, Synaptic Transmission, and Neurotransmitters	35	(16)
Overall Organization of the CNS
The Neuron
Specific Neurotransmitters
Part 2 Drugs That Depress Brain Function: Sedative-Hypnotic Drugs	51	(64)
Ethyl Alcohol and the Inhalants of Abuse	52	(30)
Ethyl Alcohol
Pharmacology of Alcohol
Alcoholism and Its Pharmacological Treatment
Inhalants of Abuse
Why Inhalants Are Abused and Who Abuses Them
Acute Intoxication and Chronic Effects
Barbiturates, General Anesthetics, and Antiepileptic Drugs	82	(18)
Historical Background
Sites and Mechanisms of Action
Uses
Sedative-Induced Brain Dysfunction
Specific CNS Depressants
Barbiturates
Miscellaneous Nonbarbiturate Sedative-Hypnotic Drugs
General Anesthetics
Antiepileptic Drugs
Relationships Between Structure and Activity
Antiepileptic Drugs in Pregnancy
Benzodiazepines and Second-Generation Anxiolytics	100	(15)
Benzodiazepines
Mechanism of Action: The Benzodiazepine-GABA Receptor
Pharmacokinetics
Pharmacological Effects
Uses
Side Effects and Toxicity
Tolerance and Dependence
Effects in Pregnancy
Flumazenil: A GABAA Antagonist
Second-Generation Anxiolytics
Zolpidem
Zaleplon and Zopiclone
Partial Agonists at GABAA Receptors
Serotoninergic Drugs as Anxiolytics
Part 3 Drugs That Stimulate Brain Function: Psychostimulants	115	(50)
Cocaine, Amphetamines, and Other Behavioral Stimulants	116	(29)
Cocaine
Background
Forms of Cocaine
Pharmacokinetics
Mechanism of Action
Effects of Short-Term, Low-Dose Use
Toxic and Psychotic Effects of Long-Term, High-Dose Use
Comorbidity
Cocaine and Pregnancy
Pharmacological Treatment of Cocaine Dependency
Psychosocial Interventions
Amphetamines and Other Behavioral Stimulants
History
Mechanism of Action
Pharmacological Effects
Dependence and Tolerance
ICE: A Free-Base Form of Methamphetamine
Nonamphetamine Behavioral Stimulants
Pharmacologic Treatment of ADHD
Caffeine and Nicotine	145	(20)
Caffeine
Pharmacokinetics
Pharmacological Effects
Mechanism of Action
Reproductive Effects
Tolerance and Dependence
Nicotine
Pharmacokinetics
Pharmacological Effects
Mechanism of Action
Tolerance and Dependence
Toxicity
Therapy for Nicotine Dependence
Part 4 Drugs That Relieve Pain: Opioid and Nonopioid Analgesics	165	(36)
Opioid Analgesics	166	(25)
History
Terminology
Opioid Receptors
Classification of Opioid Analgesics
Morphine: A Pure Agonist Opioid
Other Pure Agonist Opioids
Partial Agonist Opioids
Mixed Agonist-Antagonist Opioids
Antagonist Opioids
Pharmacotherapy of Opioid Dependence
Nonnarcotic, Anti-inflammatory Analgesics	191	(10)
Nonselective Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors
Selective COX-2 Inhibitors
Part 5 Drugs That Possess Hallocinogenic or Psychedelic Properties	201	(46)
Tetrahydrocannabinol	202	(19)
History
Mechanism of Action: The Cannabinoid Receptor
Pharmacokinetics
Pharmacological Effects of THC and Anandaminde in Animals
Pharmacological Effects in Humans
Side Effects
Tolerance and Dependence
Therapeutic Uses
Psychedelic Drugs: Mescaline, LSD, and Other Hallucinogens	221	(26)
Anticholinergic Psychedelics: Scopolamine
Catecholamine-like (Phenethylamine) Psychedelics
Serotonin-like Psychedelics
Phencyclidine and Ketamine: Psychedelic Anesthetics, Amnestics, and Deliriants
Part 6 Drug Abuse	247	(34)
Topics in Substance Use Disorders	248	(19)
Historical Perspective
Nosology and Epidemiology of Substance Dependence and Abuse
Psychoactive Drugs as Behavioral Reinforcers
Drug Availability
Drug Education
Treatment Issues
Pharmacotherapy of Substance Use Disorders
Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids	267	(14)
Mechanism of Action and Effects
Physical Dependence
Abuse and Treatment
Androstenedione
Part 7 Drugs That Are Used to Treat Psychological Disorders	281	(130)
Drugs Used to Treat Depression	283	(28)
Evolution of Antidepressant Drug Therapy
Mechanism of Antidepressant Drug Action
Tricyclic Antidepressants
Second-Generation (Atypical) Antidepressants
Serotonin-Specific Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
Dual-Action Antidepressants
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs)
COMT Inhibitors
Specific Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI)
Serotonin 5-HT1 Agonists
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
S-adenosy-methionine (SAM; SAMe)
Drugs Used to Treat Bipolar Disorder	311	(18)
Lithium
Anticonvulsants
Atypical Antipsychotics
Acetylcholine Esterase Inhibitors
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Miscellaneous Agents
Psychotherapeutic and Psychosocial Treatments
Drugs Used to Treat Schizophrenia: Antipsychotic Drugs	329	(29)
Etiology of Schizophrenia
Overview of Antipsychotic Drugs
Phenothiazines
Haloperidol
Atypical Antipsychotics
Antipsychotic Drugs in the Young and the Elderly
Drugs Used to Treat Parkinsonism	358	(8)
Levdopa (L-dopa)
Dopamine Receptor Agonists
Selegiline
Muscarinic Receptor Antagonists
Nonpharmacologic Treatments
Integration of Drugs and Psychological Therapies in Treating Mental and Behavior Disorders	366	(29)
Robert M. Julien
Donald E. Lange
Undertreatment of Mental and Psychological Disorders
Depression
Role of Drugs as Cotherapy
Role of Psychotherapy as Cotherapy
Role of the Treatment Team
DSM-IV Classification of Mental Disorders
Mood Disorders
Schizophrenia
Anxiety Disorders
Eating Disorders
Practice Standards
Herbal Medicines Used in the Treatment of Psychological Disorders	395	(16)
St. John's Wort
Gingko
Kava
Ephedrine (Ma-huang)
Other Herbals with CNS Activity
Conclusions
Glossary	411	(8)
References	419	(69)
Index	488