The Serotonin System: History, Neuropharmacology, and Pathology

Serotonin plays a key role in a number of behavioral and neuroendocrine mechanisms, including sexual behavior, aggression, impulsivity, mood regulation, sleep, food intake, and endocrine control. The neurotransmitter also has links with numerous neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and intellectual impairment. In the decades since the discovery of serotonin, the genomic revolution has helped researchers identify fifteen different serotonin receptor subtypes in the brain, and new agonists and antagonists have been tried and tested for their beneficial effects in neuropsychiatric disorders. But which of these have real therapeutic efficacy, and against which symptoms?

The Serotonin System provides an up-to-date account of the physiology and pathophysiology of serotonin and the role it plays in behavioral functions, and explores the potential roles of 5-HT1 in neurodevelopmental disorders. It summarizes the history of the discovery and development of serotonergic drugs for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders and the light they have shed on the circuitry underlying affective disorders. This concise yet thorough volume is the perfect introduction to this critical neurotransmitter for students and researchers new to the study of behavior, neuropsychiatry, or neuropharmacology, and will also assist established investigators with gaining a greater perspective of serotonin beyond their own specialization.

Examines the role of serotonin in physiological functions and in neuropsychiatric disorders, as well as the role of serotonin receptors as drug targetsProvides in-depth knowledge of all aspects of the serotonin systemExplores serotonergic receptors as targets for current and new therapeutic compounds

1. The metabolism of indoleamines 2. Neurodevelopmental Roles and The Serotonin Hypothesis of Autism Spectrum Disorder 3. The role of serotonin receptors in the control of cardiovascular function 4. Serotonin Receptors Nomenclature 5. A perspective: from the serotonin hypothesis to cognitive neuropsychological approaches 6. Endocrine and genetic moderation of serotonin systems and the psychopathology of affective disorders 7. Serotonin and sexual behavior 8. Serotonin and cognitive flexibility 9. Serotonin and Aggression 10. Serotonin and Sleep 11. Serotonin and the Psychedelics 12. Serotonin and nociception: from nociceptive transduction at the periphery to pain modulation from the brain 13. Serotonin and Feeding Regulation 14. The outlook for the development of serotonergic drugs as therapeutic medications for psychiatric disorders