Psychopharmacology is the study of the effects of psychoactive drugs on the functioning of the
central nervous system at all levels of analysis thus embracing cognition behavior
psychological states neurophysiology neurochemistry gene expression and molecular biology.
It includes as an integral part of its domain the interaction of environmental and genetic
factors with psychoactive drug action the medicinal and social uses of drugs and the misuse
and abuse of psychoactive substances. The aim of this comprehensive encyclopedia is to provide
detailed information on psychopharmacology and its sub-disciplines such as clinical
psychopharmacology molecular neuropsychopharmacology behavioral pharmacology in laboratory
animals preclinical psychopharmacology and human experimental psychopharmacology. The
wide-ranging entries in the Encyclopedia of Psychopharmacology are written by leading experts
drawn from a broad diversity of backgrounds and areas of specialization. The entries
comprehensive but succinct provide basic and clinical scientists in academia as well as
industry with the most important and relevant information on recent developments in
psychopharmacology and its closely allied disciplines. The essential information about the
field contained in these entries is readily accessible to clinicians scholars students
teachers and interested laypeople.
