The Psychopharmacology of Herbal Medicine Plant Drugs That Alter Mind, Brain, and Behavior

by Spinella, Marcello

• ISBN13: 9780262692656
• ISBN10: 0262692651
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-06-08
• Publisher: The MIT Press

Summary

Virtually all cultures consume drugs from psychoactive plants. Caffeine, for example, is probably the most common stimulant in the world, and many modern medicines, such as morphine and codeine, are derived from plant sources. In these cases, scientific research has revealed the composition of the plants and how they interact with the nervous system. There are also many herbal medications with reputed therapeutic value that have not yet gained acceptance into mainstream medicine, partly because there has not been enough research to support their usefulness. Instead they are regarded as "alternative medicines." This is an active research area, however, and many current studies are focusing on identifying the active components, pharmacological properties, physiological effects, and clinical efficacy of herbal medicines. This book compiles and integrates the most up-to-date information on the major psychoactive herbal medicines-that is, herbal medicines that alter mind, brain, and behavior. It focuses particularly on the effects on various areas of cognition, including attention, learning, and memory. The book covers all major classes of psychoactive drugs, including stimulants, cognitive enhancers, sedatives and anxiolytics, psychotherapeutic herbs, analgesics and anesthetic plants, hallucinogens, and cannabis.

Author Biography

Marcello Spinella is Assistant Professor of Psychology at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
Introduction	1	(22)
Basic Neurosciences	23	(30)
Basic Pharmacology	53	(20)
Stimulant Plants	73	(58)
Cognitive Enhancers	131	(64)
Herbal Sedatives and Anxiolytics	195	(38)
Psychotherapeutic Herbs	233	(48)
Analgesic and Anesthetic Plants	281	(48)
Hallucinogenic Plants	329	(62)
Cannabis	391	(38)
References	429	(126)
Recommended Reading	555	(6)
Index	561