title: A new nomenclature for classifying psychotropic drugs.
abstract: The Neuroscience-based Nomenclature (NbN) for psychotropic drugs was developed as an alternative to the current Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) indication-based classification in order to provide more precise designations for this drug class. The ATC nomenclature for psychotherapeutics is limited in that it fails to specify either pharmacological domains or mechanism of action and also does not describe all the potential uses of a particular agent. The disconnect between the drug classification and its clinical use is not very useful for scientific purposes and is confusing for patients and caregivers, often leading to a misunderstanding of the intended effects of the prescribed medication and, most importantly, to low treatment adherence. The NbN classifies psychopharmacological agents on the basis of contemporary scientific information on their pharmacology and mechanisms of action so as to provide physicians clear alternatives when selecting or altering therapeutic regimens. The classification of each psychotropic drug includes four additional dimensions: approved indications; efficacy and side effects; practical note; neurobiology. By emphasizing the pharmacology and the molecular mechanism of action, NbN provides a vehicle for clinicians and basic scientists to improve the understanding and clinical use of this important drug class.
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.|Oasi Institute for Research on Mental Retardation and Brain Aging (IRCCS), Troina, Italy.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Caraci
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA.
authors.forename: Sam J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Enna
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zohar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecolar Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Racagni
authors.affiliation: Geha Mental Health Center and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.|Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Gil
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zalsman
authors.affiliation: Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van den Brink
authors.affiliation: Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel, 18-201090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Siegfried
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kasper
authors.affiliation: Neurobiology of Addiction Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.|National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: George F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Koob
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Carmine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Pariante
authors.affiliation: Inserm U1215, Neurocentre Magendie, Physiopathology of Addiction Group, Bordeaux, France.|Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Pier Vincenzo
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Piazza
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Kiyofumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.affiliation: Spedding Research Solutions SAS, 6 Rue Ampere, Le Vesinet, 78110, France.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spedding
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.|Unifarm Research Centre, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Drago
mesh_terms: D000715:Anatomy; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009488:Neurosciences; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000145:classification* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009626:Terminology as Topic
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
keywords: Neuroscience; drug information; prescribing; psychotropic drugs