Drugs of Abuse: Pharmacology and Molecular Mechanisms

Drug abuse has been, and continues to be, a global societal issue with diverse sets of impacts. Drugs of Abuse: Pharmacology and Molecular Mechanisms introduces the basic principles of pharmacology and neuroscience of drug abuse. Understanding the chemistry of commonly abused drugs and their impact on brain function will provide students and researchers with a more profound understanding of the molecular basis of drug abuse and addiction. Drugs of Abuse: Pharmacology and Molecular Mechanisms opens with a brief history of drug use and abuse. Subsequent sections look at specific families of drugs, including stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogens among others, and explore how their chemical make–up interacts with brain function. The final chapter provides a brief overview of clinical substance abuse treatment. Providing a concise, accessible introductory overview of the topic, Drugs of Abuse: Pharmacology and Molecular Mechanisms will be a valuable resource for students, researchers, and others interested in how drugs interact with the brain. Introduces readers to the basic principles of neuroscience and pharmacology as related to drug use and abuse.  Explores how the chemical make–up of drugs interact with the brain and can lead to addiction Includes coverage of a wide array of commonly abused families of drugs, including stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, and others. Provides an essential introduction to the chemical and molecular underpinnings of drug use and abuse

Contributor List Preface Acknowledgments 1 Introduction Part I Stimulants 2 Biochemistry of Neurotransmission 3 Amphetamine and Amphetamine Analogs   4 Cocaine Part II Depressants, Sedative Hypnotics, and Anxiolytics 5 Benzodiazepines and Barbiturates Part III Dissociative Anesthetics 6 Phencyclidine and Ketamine 7 γHydroxybutyrate Part IV Analgesics 8 Morphine and Morphine Analogs Part V Hallucinogens 9 Lysergic Acid Diethylamide and Mescaline 10 Marijuana 11 Inhalants and Miscellaneous Drugs Part VI Recovery and Relapse 12 Treatment of Substance Dependency Index

Sherrel G. Howard is an Associate Professor of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Child Psychiatry and the Brain Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles