Treatment with drugs is fundamental to modern therapy of psychiatric disorders. The number of disorders responsive to drug treatment is increasing, reflecting the extensive synthesis of novel compounds and the greater understanding of the aetiology of the disorders.

This third edition provides new and updated material, including an additional chapter on clinical trials and their importance in assessing the efficacy and safety of psychotropic drugs. As molecular biology and imaging techniques are of increasing importance to basic and clinical neuroscience, these areas have also been...

Important clinical issues as the outcome of long term treatment with antidepressants, the time of onset of the antidepressant response and the limitations of the antidepressants currently available are covered in this monograph. Leading researchers in the area of clinical and experimental psychopharmacology critically assess the progress in their specialist fields. The mechanisms of action of antidepressants are considered, followed by clinical research into the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the immune system in the biology of depression and in response to treatment. The...