Psychotropic Agents

1. Antidepressants Chemistry (Structure and Effectiveness)

   1. Tricyclic Antidepressants: General Pharmacology

      • I. Møller Nielsen

      Pages 399-414

   2. Neurophysiological Properties (in Animals)

      • G. Gogolák

      Pages 415-435

   3. Clinical Neurophysiological Properties of Antidepressants

      • T. M. Itil, C. Soldatos

      Pages 437-469

   4. Biochemical Effects of Antidepressants in Animals

      • F. Sulser, P. L. Mobley

      Pages 471-490

   5. Biochemical Effects of Antidepressants in Man

      • G. Langer, M. Karobath

      Pages 491-504

   6. Drug-Induced Alterations in Animal Behavior as a Tool for the Evaluation of Antidepressants: Correlation with Biochemical Effects

      • A. Delini-Stula

      Pages 505-526

   7. Toxicology of Antidepressant Drugs

      • P. Thomann, R. Hess

      Pages 527-549

   8. Metabolism of Antidepressants

      • M. H. Bickel

      Pages 551-572

   9. Physiological and Psychological Effects of Antidepressants in Man

      • M. Lader, S. Bhanji

      Pages 573-582

   10. Pharmacology and Toxicology of Lithium

       • M. Schou

       Pages 583-590

   11. Antipsychotics and Experimental Seizure Models

       • R. Kretzschmar, H. J. Teschendorf

       Pages 591-622

2. Back Matter

   Pages 623-736

   PDF

The volumes on "psychotropic substances" in the Handbook of Experimental Phar­ macology series clearly show that the classical concept of this discipline has become too narrow in recent years. For instance, what substances are psychotropic is determined not by the criteria of the animal trial, i.e. by experimental pharmacology, but by their action on the psy­ che, which in the final analysis is only accessible to us in man. Psychotropic substances force experimental pharmacology (and thus also this Handbook) outside its tradition­ allimits, which have essentially depended on animal studies. The antipsychotics and antidepressants were not discovered in animal ex­ periments, but by chance (or more precisely, by clinical empiricism). Experienced psy­ chiatrists trained in the observation of patients recognised the efficacy of drugs, the beneficial effect of which nobody had dreamed of before: DELAY and DENICKER in the case of chlorpormazine, KLINE in the case of the monoamine oxidase inhibitors and KUHN in the case of imipramine. It was only after these discoveries that the pharma­ cologists developed experimental models of the psychoses in animal experiments. However, even today we still do not know with certainty which of the effects shown in animals is relevant for the clinical effect despite the vast abundance of individual investigations. For many years, this uncertainty led to the testing of antipsychotics (e.g. of the neuroleptic type) in models which actually produced the undesired effects.

• Acetylcholin
• Biotransformation
• Butyrophenone
• Diphenylbutylpiperidine
• Insulin
• Phenothiazine
• Rauwolfia
• Serotonin
• Thioxanthene
• analgesics
• chemistry
• pharmacokinetics
• pharmacology
• psychosis
• toxicology

• Institut für Pharmakologie, Bayer AG, Wuppertal 1, Germany

  F. Hoffmeister

• Institut für Arzneimittel des Bundesgesundheitsamtes, Berlin 30, Germany

  G. Stille

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