Drugs and the Neuroscience of Behavior

Dr. Adam Prus is a professor and head of psychology at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan. He earned his PhD in psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and a master’s degree in psychology from Western Michigan University. While in graduate school, Prus also worked as a research technician at a large pharmaceutical company, where he screened central nervous system drugs using various biological assays. After earning his PhD, Dr. Prus investigated experimental antipsychotic drugs as a postdoctoral fellow in the Psychopharmacology Division of the Department of Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Prus has published numerous original studies on psychoactive drugs, including studies funded by the National Institute on Mental Illness and private foundations. At NMU, he directs the Neuropsychopharmacology Laboratory, where he enjoys mentoring undergraduate and graduate students and spends too much time fixing lab equipment. When he is not teaching, training students, writing books or conducting research, Dr. Prus spends time with his wife and two children, and together they enjoy outdoor activities in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where NMU is located.

Preface
About the Author
1 Introduction to Psychopharmacology
Psychopharmacology
Why Read a Book on Psychopharmacology?
Drugs: Administered Substances That Alter Physiological Functions
Psychoactive Drugs: Described by Manner of Use
Generic Names, Trade Names, and Street Names for Drugs
Drug Effects: Determined by Dose
Pharmacology: Pharmacodynamics, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacogenetics
Psychoactive Drugs: Objective and Subjective Effects
Study Designs and the Assessment of Psychoactive Drugs
Validity: Addressing the Quality and Impact of a Study
Animals and Advancing Medical Research
Researchers Consider Many Ethical Issues When Conducting Human Research
FROM ACTIONS TO EFFECTS: Therapeutic Drug Development
CHAPTER SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
2 The Nervous System
Cells in the Nervous System
The Nervous System: Control of Behavior and Physiological Functions
Cerebral Blood Flow and Cerebrospinal Fluid
Genes and the Physiological Processes of Cells
FROM ACTIONS TO EFFECTS: Gilal Scars and Recovery From Brain Injury
CHAPTER SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
3 Neurotransmission
Electrical Events Within a Neuron and the Release of Neurotransmitters
Nerve Impulses: Electrical Potential Changes in Neurons
Propagation of Action Potentials Down Axons
Neurotransmitters: Signaling Molecules for Neuronal Communication
Neurotransmission: Neurotransmitter Binding to Receptors
Different Types of Neurotransmitters and Communication
Monoamine Neurotransmitters: Dopamine, Norepinephrine, Epinephrine, and Serotonin
Acetylcholine
Neuropeptides: A Large Class of Neurotransmitters
Nitric Oxide: A Unique Neurotransmitter
Other Types of Chemical Transmission in the Nervous System
FROM ACTIONS TO EFFECTS: Treating Alzheimer’s Disease
CHAPTER SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
4 Properties of Drugs
Pharmacokinetic Properties and Drug Passage Through the Body
Pharmacodynamics: Describing the Actions of Drugs
Psychoactive Drugs and Receptors
Neurotoxins and Damage to the Nervous System
Adaptations to Chronic Drug Use
FROM ACTIONS TO EFFECTS: Heroin Tolerance and Overdose
CHAPTER SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
5 Drugs of Abuse
Regulatory Agencies and Drug Classification
Clinical Definitions and the Diagnosis of Drug Addiction
Theoretical Models and the Features of Drug Addiction
Drugs of Abuse and Reward Circuitry
Drug Abuse and Changes to Learning and Memory Systems
Neurobiology and the Stages of Drug Addiction
Mortality and Drug Addiction
Psychological and Pharmacological Therapies for Treating Drug Dependence
FROM ACTIONS TO EFFECTS: Food Addiction
CHAPTER SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
6 Psychostimulants
Psychostimulants: A Large Variety of Substances
Psychostimulants: Herbal Remedies, Prescription Drugs, and Substances of Abuse
Pharmacokinetics of Psychostimulants
Psychostimulants and Monoamine Neurotransmitters
Pharmacological Effects of Psychostimulants
FROM ACTIONS TO EFFECTS: Treatments for Psychostimulant Addiction
CHAPTER SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
7 Nicotine and Caffeine
Nicotine: Key Psychoactive Ingredient in Tobacco
Discovery of Tobacco
Tobacco Use and Pharmacokinetic Properties
Nicotine and Nervous System Functioning
Nicotine’s Potent Pharmacological Effects
Nicotine Affects Movement and Cognitive Functioning
Environmental, Genetic, and Receptor Differences Between Light and Heavy Tobacco Users
FROM ACTIONS TO EFFECTS: Why People Smoke and How They Quit
Caffeine
Caffeine Absorption, Duration, and Interaction With Other Psychoactive Drugs
Caffeine: Antagonist for Adenosine Receptors
Caffeine: Mild Psychostimulant Effects
Tolerance and Dependence During Sustained Caffeine Use
FROM ACTIONS TO EFFECTS: Why People Consume Caffeinated Products
CHAPTER SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
8 Alcohol
Alcohol: The Most Commonly Used Depressant Substance
Alcohol Production Through Fermentation and Distillation
The History of Alcohol Consumption
Pharmacokinetic Factors and Alcohol’s Effects
Alcohol and Central Nervous System Functioning
Pharmacological Effects of Alcohol
Treating Alcohol Addiction
FROM ACTIONS TO EFFECTS: Hangover
CHAPTER SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
9 GHB and Inhalants
Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate
History of GHB
Inhalants
FROM ACTIONS TO EFFECTS: Stimulus Properties of GHB and Toluene
CHAPTER SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
10 Opioids
Opioids: Natural and Synthetic
History of Opium Use
Pharmacokinetic Properties and Opioid Abuse
Opioid Drug Interactions With the Endogenous Opioid System
Opioid Drugs: Classification by Receptor Action
Opioid System Interactions With Reward, Pain, and Stress Systems
Opioid Reinforcing and Analgesic Effects
FROM ACTIONS TO EFFECTS: Pharmacological Approaches for Treating Opioid Addiction
CHAPTER SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
11 Cannabinoids
Historical Use of Cannabis
Methods of Cannabis Preparation and Use
Cannabinoid Compounds and the Endocannabinoid System
Cannabinoids and CB1 and CB2 Receptors
Physiological Effects of Cannabinoids
Behavioral Effects of Cannabinoids
Subjective Effects of Cannabinoids
Cannabinoid Tolerance and Dependence
Cannabis and Health Risk
FROM ACTIONS TO EFFECTS: Medical Marijuana
CHAPTER SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
12 Psychedelic Drugs
Hallucinogens
LSD’s Mild Physiological Effects and Profound Hallucinogenic Effects
Mixed Stimulant–Psychedelic Drugs
Recreational Use of Dissociative Anesthetics
Other Psychedelic Drugs
FROM ACTIONS TO EFFECTS: Synesthesia
CHAPTER SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
13 Treatments for Depression and Bipolar Disorder
Mental Disorders
Depression
Bipolar Disorder
FROM ACTIONS TO EFFECTS: Pharmacogenetic Factors and Treatment Response in Depression
CHAPTER SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
14 Treatments for Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
Structures Involved in Fear and Anxiety
Anxious Feelings, the Amygdala, and the Sympathetic Nervous System
Stress and the HPA Axis
Anxiolytic and Antidepressant Drugs and the Treatment of Anxiety
FROM ACTIONS TO EFFECTS: How Do Antidepressant Drugs Reduce Anxiety?
CHAPTER SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
15 Antipsychotic Drugs
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia’s Complex Neurobiological Profile
A Brief History of Schizophrenia and Its Treatment
Neurotransmission Hypotheses for Schizophrenia
Typical and Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs
Antipsychotic Drugs and Autism
FROM ACTIONS TO EFFECTS: Antipsychotic Drug Actions and Neurotransmission in Schizophrenia
CHAPTER SUMMARY
KEY TERMS
References
Author Index
Subject Index