Neuropsychopharmacology, an interdisciplinary science related to
psychopharmacology (how drugs affect the mind) and fundamental
neuroscience, is the study of the neural mechanisms that drugs act upon to influence behavior. It entails research of mechanisms of
neuropathology,
pharmacodynamics (drug action),
psychiatric illness, and states of
consciousness. These studies are instigated at the detailed level involving
neurotransmission/
receptor activity,
bio-chemical processes, and
neural circuitry. Neuropsychopharmacology supersedes
psychopharmacology in the areas of "how" and "why", and additionally addresses other issues of brain function. Accordingly, the clinical aspect of the field includes
psychiatric (psychoactive) as well as
neurologic (non-psychoactive) pharmacology-based treatments. Developments in neuropsychopharmacology may directly impact the studies of
anxiety disorders,
affective disorders,
psychotic disorders,
degenerative disorders,
eating behavior, and
sleep behavior.
