This book provides a conceptual framework for understanding and studying the pharmacogenetics of psychotropic drugs, reviews advances in the field, and describes the findings that have already emerged. Coverage extends to antipsychotics, antidepressants and mood stabilizing, cognitive-enhancing and anxiolytic drugs. The volume also examines the interface of pharmacogenetics with substance dependence and brain imaging, and considers its impact on the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. This book defines the young field of pharmacogenetics as it applies to psychotropic drugs, and is therefore an essential reference for all clinicians and researchers involved.
Pharmacogenetics is the study of genetically determined, interindividual differences in therapeutic
response to drugs and susceptibility to adverse effects. The principal objective of
pharmacogenetics is to identify and categorize the genetic factors that underlie these differences
and to apply these observations in the clinic. Individualization of drug treatment to
the specific patient is thus a core objective of pharmacogenetics. The goal of this book is to
provide a basic conceptual framework for the pharmacogenetics of psychotropic drugs, to
address major issues in the design and implementation of studies that seek to advance the
field and to provide an overview of findings that have emerged so far. In this introductory
chapter, the rationale for psychopharmacogenetics is considered, a brief historical perspective
is provided, some of the pivotal concepts and terms are defined, important issues in the
design and interpretation of pharmacogenetic studies in psychiatry are considered and optimistic
predictions for the future are evaluated. The chapter concludes with a brief overview
introducing the reader to the various sections of the book.