Understanding Drugs and Behaviour

About the authors ix

Preface xi

Part I Drugs and Their Actions 1

1 Psychoactive drugs: introduction and overview 3

2 The brain, neurons and neurotransmission 9

3 Principles of drug action 25

Part II Non-medical Use of Psychoactive Drugs 39

4 CNS stimulants: amphetamine, cocaine and caffeine 41

5 Nicotine and cigarette smoking 55

6 LSD and Ecstasy/MDMA 71

7 Cannabis 85

8 Heroin and opiates 103

9 CNS depressants: alcohol, barbiturates and benzodiazepines 119

10 Alcoholism and drug dependence 133

Part III Clinical and Medicinal Use of Drugs 151

11 Antipsychotics for schizophrenia 153

12 Antidepressants and mood stabilisers 171

13 Nootropics for Alzheimer’s disease 187

14 Cognitive enhancers 203

Part IV Final Overview 219

15 Current knowledge and future possibilities 221

Glossary 235

Key psychopharmacology and addiction journals 251

Internet sources of information about psychoactive drugs 253

References 257

Index 291