psychopharmacology

psychopharmacology
1. The use of drugs to treat mental and psychologic disorders. 2. The science of drug-behavior relationships. SYN: neuropsychopharmacology. [psycho- + G. pharmakon, drug, + logos, study] With the explosive advance of brain science since 1970 has come fuller understanding of the role that neurotransmitters play in emotion, mood, and psychologic states and of how errors in the synthesis or metabolism of these agents can cause or contribute to neurologic disease and mental illness. Using nucleotide-tagged molecules as probes, neurochemists have identified the major neural pathways and functions of many neurotransmitters, more than 60 of which are currently known. Building on this knowledge, neuropsychopharmacologists have succeeded in designing potent new psychoactive drugs. Most successful to date have been those for treating psychoses, obsessive-compulsive disorders, anxiety states, and clinical depression.

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psy·cho·phar·ma·col·o·gy .sī-kō-.fär-mə-'käl-ə-jē n, pl -gies the study of the effect of drugs on the mind and behavior

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n.
the study of the effects of drugs on mental processes and behaviour, particularly psychotropic drugs.

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psy·cho·phar·ma·col·o·gy (si″ko-fahr″mə-kolґə-je) 1. the study of the action of drugs on psychological functions and mental states. 2. the use of drugs to modify psychological functions and mental states.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • Psychopharmacology — (from Greek gr. ψῡχή, psȳkhē , breath, life, soul ; gr. φάρμακον, pharmakon , drug ; and gr. λογία, logia ) is the study of drug induced changes in mood, sensation, thinking, and behavior. [Meyer, J. S. and Quenzer, L. S. (2004).… …   Wikipedia

  • Psychopharmacology — ist eine medizinische Fachzeitschrift im Bereich der Psychopharmakologie mit Sitz in Berlin. Sie zählt zu den Produkten der Gruppe Springer Science+Business Media (ISSN 0033 3158). Ihr Themenbereich erstreckt sich über die klinische… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • psychopharmacology — [sī΄kō fär΄mə käl′ə jē] n. the study of the actions of drugs on the mind psychopharmacological [sī΄kō fär΄məkə läj′i kəl] adj …   English World dictionary

  • Psychopharmacology —    The study of the differential use of drugs to understand and modify neuochemistry and the psychiatric disorders to which anomalies in neurochemistry give rise.    The first researcher in the modern history of medicine to use a psychoactive… …   Historical dictionary of Psychiatry

  • psychopharmacology — noun Date: 1920 the study of the effect of drugs on the mind and behavior • psychopharmacological also psychopharmacologic adjective • psychopharmacologist noun …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • psychopharmacology — psychopharmacologic /suy koh fahr meuh keuh loj ik/, psychopharmacological, adj. psychopharmacologically, adv. psychopharmacologist, n. /suy koh fahr meuh kol euh jee/, n. the branch of pharmacology dealing with the psychological effects of drugs …   Universalium

  • psychopharmacology — noun The branch of pharmacology which pertains to the psychoactive aspects of drugs …   Wiktionary

  • psychopharmacology — n. study of the psychological effects of drugs and medications …   English contemporary dictionary

  • psychopharmacology — noun the branch of psychiatry concerned with the effects of drugs on the mind and behaviour. Derivatives psychopharmacological adjective psychopharmacologist noun …   English new terms dictionary

  • psychopharmacology — psy·cho·pharmacology …   English syllables

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