What is Neuropharmacology?
Neuropharmacology is a specialty that deals with the study of the effects that drugs or medications have on our nervous system. The objective of neuropharmacology focuses on determining the actions that drugs have on psychiatric and neurological diseases, but also on substance addiction disorders.
Thus, neuropharmacology, also known as psychopharmacology or neuropsychopharmacology, is a science that studies drugs that cause changes in behavior and mental or brain functions due to their action on the nervous system.
The objective of this specialty is to know the information of the drugs in order to develop treatments that are safer and more effective.
What diseases does Neuropharmacology treat?
Neuropharmacology can treat a large number of neurological disorders, such as the following:
- Pain
- Neurodegenerative diseases
- Parkinson’s disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Psychological disorders
- Psychiatric diseases
- Addictions
What sub-specialties are there within Neuropharmacology?
Within Neuropharmacology, two types of this specialty can be found.
On the one hand, there is behavioral neuropharmacology, which studies how drugs affect human behavior.
And, on the other hand, there is molecular neuropharmacology, which, by studying neurons and their neurochemical interactions, aims to develop drugs that are beneficial to neurological function.
When is it necessary to turn to Neuropharmacology?
It is necessary to turn to Neuropharmacology when there is a case of the neurological disorders listed above:
- Pain
- Neurodegenerative diseases
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Psychological disorders
- Psychiatric diseases
- Addictions