World Health Organization : Technical Report Series, No. 371: Research in Psychopharmacology

By World Health Organization

Book Id: WPLBN0000047449
Format Type: PDF eBook
File Size: 1.9 MB
Reproduction Date: 2005

Title:	World Health Organization : Technical Report Series, No. 371: Research in Psychopharmacology
Author:	World Health Organization
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Health., Public health, Wellness programs
Collections:	Medical Library Collection, World Health Collection
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	World Health Organization


Citation APA MLA Chicago Organization, W. H. (n.d.). World Health Organization : Technical Report Series, No. 371. Retrieved from http://gutenberg.us/

Description
Medical Reference Publication

Excerpt
1. INTRODUCTION Following the recommendations of the WHO Scientific Group on Mental Health Research in 1964,l a programme of research in biological psychiatry and neurology was drawn up: concentrating on four main topics : psychiatric genetics, psychopharmacology, neurophysiology, and biochemistry of the brain.2 A considerable amount of research on these subjects has been carried out in various countries and discussed during international conferences. It was considered, however, that WHO could play an important role in helping to take stock of knowledge in these fields of biological psychiatry, elucidatins the lines of research that should receive further emphasis, and recommending improved methods of research. In particular, WHO is in a position to promote research where international collaboration is likely to be most productive. Psychopharmacology as a branch of science dates only from the early 1950's. It developed so rapidly, however, that in 1957 WHO convened a study group to review the state of knowledge at that time. Their report was considered by the present Scientific Group to provide a valuable exposition of the situation, much of the information being still valid. The present report outlines recent additions to knowledge, and emphasizes points that are of particular significance to research.

Table of Contents
CONTENTS 1 . Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . General considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . 3. Psychotropic drugs and their classfication . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 Operational definition and classification . . . . . . . . . 3 . 2 Development of new psychotropic drugs . . . . . . . 4 . Clinical psychopharmacology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1 Clinical effectiveness of psychotropic drugs . . . . . . . 4 . 2 Adverse clinical effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3 Significarce of psychopharmacology for research in clinical psychiatry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5. Methodology of clinical drug evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1 Trials in phases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2 Clinical controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3 Problenls with double-blind experiments . . . . . . . . . 5 . 4 Statistical analysis of data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.5 Other nlethodological problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . Modes of action of psychotropic drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.1 Biochemical mechanisms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . 2 Neurophysiological mechanisms . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 . Behavioural studies in animals and man . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.1 Types of behavioural study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 . 2 Psychopharmacogenetic studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.3 Predictions of human responses from animal experiments . . 8 . Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.1 General principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.2 Research topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.3 Suggested collaborative research . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5 6 7 7 9 9 9 15