Reference Terms
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Psychopharmacology
Psychopharmacology is the study of drug-induced changes in mood, thinking, and behavior. These drugs may originate from natural sources such as plants and animals, or from artificial sources such as chemical syntheses in the laboratory. These drugs interact with particular target sites or receptors found in the nervous system to induce widespread changes in physiological or psychological functions. The specific interaction between drugs and their target sites or receptors is referred to as drug action. The widespread changes in physiological or psychological function is referred to as drug effect. In psychopharmacology, researchers are interested in a wide range of drug classes such as antidepressants and stimulants. Drugs are researched for their pharmaceutical properties, physical side effects, and psychological side effects.
Related Stories
1
2
Mind & Brain News
April 1, 2026
Apr. 1, 2026 Millions of people start work before sunrise—but their brains aren’t ready for it. A new clinical trial has found that the wake-promoting drug solriamfetol can significantly boost alertness in early-morning shift workers struggling with shift ...
Mar. 30, 2026 Deep sleep does far more than rest the body — it activates a powerful brain-driven system that controls growth hormone, fueling muscle and bone strength, metabolism, and even mental performance. ...
Mar. 30, 2026 Just a few minutes of getting out of breath each day could dramatically cut your risk of major diseases—including heart disease, dementia, and diabetes. A large study of nearly 100,000 people found that it’s not just how much you move, but how ...
Mar. 29, 2026 After a stroke, the brain may do something surprisingly hopeful—it can “refresh” parts of itself. Researchers analyzing brain scans from over 500 stroke survivors found that while the damaged side of the brain appears to age faster, the ...
Mar. 29, 2026 What teens eat might matter more for their mental health than previously thought. A sweeping review of nearly 20 studies found that healthier diets are often linked to fewer depressive symptoms, while poor eating habits may go hand in hand with ...
Mar. 28, 2026 Scientists have developed a new gene therapy that quiets pain at its source in the brain—without the addictive risks of opioids. Using AI to map how pain is processed, they created a targeted “off switch” that mimics morphine’s benefits but ...
Mar. 28, 2026 Scientists have uncovered how your body actually tells your brain to stop eating when you’re sick. In a new study, researchers found that specialized cells in the gut detect parasites and send ...
Mar. 26, 2026 Researchers have identified a crucial ion channel, TMEM175, that acts like an overflow valve in the cell’s recycling system. It regulates acidity inside lysosomes, ensuring they function properly. ...
Mar. 26, 2026 Vivid dreams might be doing more than just entertaining your mind at night. Researchers found that immersive dreaming can actually make sleep feel deeper and more refreshing, even when brain activity is high. Surprisingly, people reported their ...
Mar. 25, 2026 A major discovery reveals that metformin works not just in the body, but in the brain. By switching off a key protein and activating specific neurons, the drug lowers blood sugar through a previously hidden pathway, opening new doors for diabetes ...
Mar. 25, 2026 Balance problems in aging and Parkinson’s may come from the body working too hard, not too little. Scientists found that the brain and muscles become overactive during even minor disturbances, yet this actually weakens balance recovery. At the ...
Mar. 24, 2026 New fathers appear to have fewer mental health diagnoses during pregnancy and the early months after birth. But that early stability does not last. About a year later, depression and stress-related disorders increase significantly, surprising ...
Latest Headlines
updated 12:56 pm ET
Apr. 1, 2026 Drinking coffee at night might come with an unexpected downside: increased impulsivity. In a new study, fruit flies given caffeine after dark behaved more recklessly, ignoring signals that normally ...
Mar. 24, 2026 A new neural implant is so small it can rest on a grain of salt, yet it can track and wirelessly transmit brain activity for over a year. It’s powered by laser light that safely passes through ...
Mar. 24, 2026 Scientists have found that your brain separates memories into “what” and “where/when” using two different groups of neurons. One set responds to specific objects or people, while another ...
Mar. 23, 2026 Scientists have uncovered a hidden “death switch” in the brain that may be driving Alzheimer’s disease—and even found a way to turn it off in mice. The culprit is a toxic pairing of two ...
Mar. 22, 2026 Scientists have uncovered a surprising brain-based trigger for high blood pressure, tracing it to a small region in the brainstem that normally controls breathing. This area, which kicks in during ...
Mar. 22, 2026 GLP-1 medications like semaglutide (Ozempic) may offer unexpected mental health benefits alongside weight loss. A large study found major drops in depression, anxiety, and psychiatric-related ...
Mar. 20, 2026 The largest review of medicinal cannabis to date found it doesn’t effectively treat anxiety, depression, or PTSD—despite millions using it for those reasons. Researchers warn it could even make ...
Mar. 20, 2026 Many people believe closing their eyes sharpens hearing, but that is not always true. In noisy settings, participants struggled more to hear faint sounds with their eyes closed, while matching ...
Mar. 18, 2026 Your morning coffee or tea could be quietly supporting your brain health. A long-term study found that moderate consumption of caffeinated coffee or tea was linked to an 18% lower risk of dementia ...
Mar. 17, 2026 Early life stress may set the stage for long-term digestive problems by disrupting the gut-brain connection. Studies in both mice and thousands of children found links to symptoms like pain, ...