Concise Guide to Psychopharmacology » (Second Edition)

Lauren B. Marangell, M.D., is the Brown Foundation Chair of the Psychopharmacology of Mood Disorders, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, and Director of Mood Disorders Research in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.

James M. Martinez, M.D., is Associate Director of the Mood Disorders Program and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.

The definitive pocket reference for convenient everyday use.

This invaluable clinical companion begins with an overview of the general principles relevant to the safe and effective use of psychotropic medications. Subsequent chapters focus on the major classes of psychotropic medications and the disorders for which they are prescribed—with the caveat that the nomenclature is somewhat artificial because, for example, many antidepressant medications are also used to treat anxiety disorders.

Updates for this edition in every drug class ensure ready access to information on new drugs and new findings.

• Antidepressants—Presents clinically relevant information for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, bupropion, venlafaxine, duloxetine, mirtazapine, as well as tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors, including details on choosing one antidepressant over another and discontinuing or switching medications. Updated with new information on the possible risk of increased suicidality and other potential side effects.
• Anxiolytics, sedatives, and hypnotics—Discusses the use of benzodiazepines, zolpidem, and zaleplon, and ramelteon for the treatment of insomnia as well as diagnosis-specific guidelines for the use of antidepressants in the treatment of anxiety disorders.
• Antipsychotics—Describes the properties common to most antipsychotics, focusing on atypical antipsychotics (clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, ziprasidone), now used as first-line agents. New in this edition: the latest findings on safety and efficacy, and on the use of antipsychotic agents in bipolar disorder.
• Mood stabilizers—Details the use of lithium, valproate, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, and other anticonvulsants in stabilizing mood oscillations, and expands on the use of antipsychotics for treating bipolar disorder. With new information on the treatment of mania and mixed episodes.
• Stimulants—Covers the clinical use, contraindications, risks and side effects, dosing strategies, and monitoring guidelines for methylphenidate hydrochloride, dextroamphetamine, pemoline, and modafinil, used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents, narcolepsy, and (potentially) treatment-resistant depression and cognitive impairment in adults.
• Cognitive enhancers—Discusses the clinical use, drug interactions, and side effects of the cholinesterase inhibitors tacrine, donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine, which preserve functioning and slow further deterioration in the pharmacological management of cognitive impairment in mild-to-moderate dementia of the Alzheimer's type. Fully updated to reflect the latest findings on the NMDA receptor antagonist memantine.

Packed with practical information that is easy to access via detailed tables and charts, this pocket-sized volume (it literally fits into a lab coat or jacket pocket) is designed to be immediately useful for students, residents, and clinicians working in a variety of treatment settings, such as inpatient psychiatry units, outpatient clinics, consultation-liaison services, and private offices.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Robert Hung, MD, MPH(Rush University Medical Center)
Description:This is the second edition of a pocket handbook of all major drug classes used in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. It expounds on the clinical uses, side effects, mechanisms of action, and drug interactions of the most commonly used psychotropic medications. The first edition was written in 2002.
Purpose:The purpose is to present evidence-based clinical information on psychopharmacology in an easily accessible format that balances brevity with depth of understanding.
Audience:The handbook was written for a broad audience of "psychiatrists, psychiatric residents, and medical students." Given the design, the handbook fits in a lab coat and contains tables, figures, and charts for immediate retrieval of relevant information. This makes it especially useful to medical students and psychiatric residents on call.
Features:It provides a brief overview of the pharmacokinetics that mediate drug-drug interactions. Each major class of psychotropic medications is reviewed with a focus on clinical efficacy, side effects, dosing, and disease management. Psychiatric disorders are described alongside the proper use of drug therapy, emphasizing the need to correctly diagnose patients and expertly titrate medications while attenuating side effects.
Assessment:This is an excellent, compact source of highly relevant clinical information on the major classes of psychotropic medications. Having both breadth and depth, it covers dual-action antidepressants, the newest hypnotics, and the few mood stabilizers for bipolar depression. The book also delves into class specific issues and side effects such as neuroleptic malignant syndrome, metabolic syndrome, and the potential for drug abuse or cardiac arrhythmias. The handbook only lacks information on Topiramate and Gabapentin, which are only briefly addressed. A more in-depth discussion on medication tapering, switching, and augmentation would benefit this informative resource.