A Primer of Drug Action: A Concise, Non-Technical Guide to the Actions, Uses, and Side Effects of Psychoactive Drugs

Since 1975, Robert M. Julien's A Primer of Drug Action has been the definitive guide to the effects of psychoactive drugs on the brain and on behavior.

Now fully updated, this popular guide continues to lead the way through a rapidly changing field, providing readers with a clear, contemporary, and objective look at every drug and medication that either positively or adversely affects brain function. This edition includes important new information on:

―Herbal medications
―Drug therapy for behavioral and anxiety disorders
―Clinical practice guidelines for treating psychological disorders
―Depression and the action of antidepressant drugs
―The use of newer anticonvulsants in the treatment of bipolar disorder, pain syndromes, and behavioral disorders
―Drug therapy for children, adolescents and the elderly
―"New generation" antipsychotic agents

Authoritative, comprehensive, and suitable for those with little background in biology, A Primer of Drug Action is an indispensable source of information for anyone interested in drug use, abuse, and education.

Robert M. Julien, M.D., Ph.D. (1942-2024) received his M.S. and Ph.D. in pharmacology from the
University of Washington and his medical degree from the University of California at Irvine. His many research articles focus on the psychopharmacology of sedative and antiepileptic drugs. He was an associate professor of pharmacology and anesthesiology at the Oregon Health Sciences University and the author of A Primer of Drug Action.