Neuropharmacology
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Neuropharmacology is concerned with drug-induced changes in the functioning of cells in the nervous system.[1]. Within the discipline of neuropharmacology are two branches, behavioral and molecular.
Neuropharmacology is concerned with the study of the neurochemical interactions of neuropeptides, neurohormones, neuromodulators, enzymes, secondary messenger systems of the central nervous system, co-transporters, ion channels, receptor proteins and more.
Neuropharmacology is the study of drugs that modify the functions of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and the nerves that communicate with all parts of the body. Neuropharmacologists study drug actions from a number of the different viewpoints. They may probe the neurochemical disorders underlying specific disease states to find new ways to use drugs in the treatment of disease. Alternatively, they may study drugs already in use to determine more precisely the neurophysiological or neurobiochemical changes that they produce. Other studies use drugs as tools to elucidate basic mechanisms of brain function, or to provide clues to the nature of disease processes.