Premium
Clinical pharmacology of central stimulant and antidepressant drugs
Author(s) -
Werner Gerhard
Publication year - 1962
Publication title -
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.941
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1532-6535
pISSN - 0009-9236
DOI - 10.1002/cpt19623159
Subject(s) - antidepressant , stimulant , drug , clinical pharmacology , animal models of depression , psychology , medicine , pharmacology , psychiatry , anxiety
Considerations relevant to the validity of clinical psychopharmacologic studies are outlined. Thereby, criteria are established for the evaluation of the existing reports on therapeutic activity of antidepressant drugs. It is concluded that many studies, in design and interpretation, fail to do justice to the complexity of drug actions on personality functions. Nevertheless, the potential usefulness for enhancement of performance in normal subjects and for relief of symptoms of depression emerges for some of the agents reviewed. Drug effects in animal experiments involving biochemical, neurophysiologic, and behavioral parameters of actions are summarized with the view of critically discussing the current theories on mechanisms of actions.