The goal for this volume is to provide an up-to-date review of the discriminative stimulus properties of major psychoactive drug classes with an emphasis on how this paradigm enhances our understanding of these drugs and how these findings translate from animals to humans. The drug discrimination paradigm applies to both drugs of abuse and drugs for treating mental illnesses, and research from these studies has provided immense translational value for learning about the mechanisms responsible for drug effects in humans.
Using the most well-studied behavioral analyses of animal subjects to promote a better understanding of the effects of disease and the effects of new therapeutic treatments on human cognition, Methods of Behavior Analysis in Neuroscience provides a reference manual for molecular and cellular research scientists in both academia and the pharmaceutic
This volume brings together the latest basic and clinical research examining the effects and underlying mechanisms of psychedelic drugs. Examples of drugs within this group include LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline. Despite their structural differences, these compounds produce remarkably similar experiences in humans and share a common mechanism of action. Commonalities among the substances in this family are addressed both at the clinical and phenomenological level and at the basic neurobiological mechanism level. To the extent possible, contributions relate the clinical and preclinical findings to one another across species. The volume addresses both the risks associated with the use of these drugs and the potential medical benefits that might be associated with these and related compounds.
Drug discrimination: a practical guide to its contributions to the invention of new chemical entities and evaluations of new or known pharmacological agents Drug discrimination can be described as a "drug detection" procedure that uses a pharmacologically active agent as the subjective stimulus. Although the procedure does require some effort to implement, it can be an extremely important tool for understanding drug action. Whereas medicinal chemists should come to learn the types of information that drug discrimination studies can offer, pharmacologists and psychologists might come to realize how medicinal chemists can apply the types of information that the paradigm routinely provides. Drug Discrimination: Applications to Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Studies provides in-depth analyses of the nature and use of drugs as discriminative stimuli and bridges some of the numerous gaps between medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and psychology. Stressing the practical aspects of drug discrimination, including types of procedures, study design, data, and interpretation, the book details the advantages and limitations of drug discrimination studies versus other pharmacologic evaluations. Practical information from leading researchers in the field addresses specific topics and techniques that are of interest in drug discovery, evaluation, and development. A groundbreaking new guide to the applications of drug discrimination studies for medicinal chemistry and neuroscience, Drug Discrimination is essential for any scientist, researcher, or student whose interests involve the design, development, and/or action of drugs acting at the level of the central nervous system.
Estimates indicate that as many as 1 in 4 Americans will experience a mental health problem or will misuse alcohol or drugs in their lifetimes. These disorders are among the most highly stigmatized health conditions in the United States, and they remain barriers to full participation in society in areas as basic as education, housing, and employment. Improving the lives of people with mental health and substance abuse disorders has been a priority in the United States for more than 50 years. The Community Mental Health Act of 1963 is considered a major turning point in America's efforts to improve behavioral healthcare. It ushered in an era of optimism and hope and laid the groundwork for the consumer movement and new models of recovery. The consumer movement gave voice to people with mental and substance use disorders and brought their perspectives and experience into national discussions about mental health. However over the same 50-year period, positive change in American public attitudes and beliefs about mental and substance use disorders has lagged behind these advances. Stigma is a complex social phenomenon based on a relationship between an attribute and a stereotype that assigns undesirable labels, qualities, and behaviors to a person with that attribute. Labeled individuals are then socially devalued, which leads to inequality and discrimination. This report contributes to national efforts to understand and change attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that can lead to stigma and discrimination. Changing stigma in a lasting way will require coordinated efforts, which are based on the best possible evidence, supported at the national level with multiyear funding, and planned and implemented by an effective coalition of representative stakeholders. Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders: The Evidence for Stigma Change explores stigma and discrimination faced by individuals with mental or substance use disorders and recommends effective strategies for reducing stigma and encouraging people to seek treatment and other supportive services. It offers a set of conclusions and recommendations about successful stigma change strategies and the research needed to inform and evaluate these efforts in the United States.
Drug abuse persists as one of the most costly and contentious problems on the nation's agenda. Pathways of Addiction meets the need for a clear and thoughtful national research agenda that will yield the greatest benefit from today's limited resources. The committee makes its recommendations within the public health framework and incorporates diverse fields of inquiry and a range of policy positions. It examines both the demand and supply aspects of drug abuse. Pathways of Addiction offers a fact-filled, highly readable examination of drug abuse issues in the United States, describing findings and outlining research needs in the areas of behavioral and neurobiological foundations of drug abuse. The book covers the epidemiology and etiology of drug abuse and discusses several of its most troubling health and social consequences, including HIV, violence, and harm to children. Pathways of Addiction looks at the efficacy of different prevention interventions and the many advances that have been made in treatment research in the past 20 years. The book also examines drug treatment in the criminal justice setting and the effectiveness of drug treatment under managed care. The committee advocates systematic study of the laws by which the nation attempts to control drug use and identifies the research questions most germane to public policy. Pathways of Addiction provides a strategic outline for wise investment of the nation's research resources in drug abuse. This comprehensive and accessible volume will have widespread relevanceâ€"to policymakers, researchers, research administrators, foundation decisionmakers, healthcare professionals, faculty and students, and concerned individuals.
Drugs and the Neuroscience of Behavior: An Introduction to Psychopharmacology, Second Edition by Adam Prus presents an introduction to the rapidly advancing field of psychopharmacology by examining how drug actions in the brain affect psychological processes. The book provides historical background to give readers an appreciation for the development of drug treatments and neuroscience over time, covering major topics in psychopharmacology, including new drugs and recent trends in drug use. Pedagogical features informed by the latest scholarship in teaching and learning are integrated throughout the text to ensure that readers are able to process and understand the material with ease.
Nonclinical Assessment of Abuse Potential for New Pharmaceuticals offers a complete reference on the current international regulatory guidelines and details best practice methodology for the three standard animal models used to evaluate abuse potential: physical dependence, self-administration and drug discrimination. This book also includes chapters on alternative models and examples of when you should use these alternatives. Case histories are provided at the end of the book to show how the data generated from the animal models play a pivitol role in the submission package for a new drug. By incorporating all of this information into one book, Nonclinical Assessment of Abuse Potential for New Pharmaceuticals is your single resource for everything you need to know to understand and implement the assessment of abuse liability. Provides a consolidated overview of the complex regulatory landscape Offers best practice methodology for conducting animal studies, including selection of doses and positive control agents that will help you improve your own abuse potential studies Includes real-life examples to illustrate how nonclinical data fit into the submission strategy
Expanding on the National Research Council's Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, this book deals specifically with mammals in neuroscience and behavioral research laboratories. It offers flexible guidelines for the care of these animals, and guidance on adapting these guidelines to various situations without hindering the research process. Guidelines for the Care and Use of Mammals in Neuroscience and Behavioral Research offers a more in-depth treatment of concerns specific to these disciplines than any previous guide on animal care and use. It treats on such important subjects as: The important role that the researcher and veterinarian play in developing animal protocols. Methods for assessing and ensuring an animal's well-being. General animal-care elements as they apply to neuroscience and behavioral research, and common animal welfare challenges this research can pose. The use of professional judgment and careful interpretation of regulations and guidelines to develop performance standards ensuring animal well-being and high-quality research. Guidelines for the Care and Use of Mammals in Neuroscience and Behavioral Research treats the development and evaluation of animal-use protocols as a decision-making process, not just a decision. To this end, it presents the most current, in-depth information about the best practices for animal care and use, as they pertain to the intricacies of neuroscience and behavioral research.
