Introduction

The primary objective of this 4-volume book series is to educate PharmD students on the subject of medicinal chemistry. The book set serves as a reference guide to pharmacists on aspects of the chemical basis of drug action. Medicinal Chemistry of Drugs Affecting the Nervous System is the second volume of the series and it presents 8 chapters focusing on a comprehensive account of drugs affecting the nervous system. The volume informs readers about the medicinal chemistry of relevant drugs, which includes the mechanism of drug action, detail structure activity relationships and metabolism as well as clinical significance of drugs affecting autonomic and central nervous system. Chapters in this volume cover cholinergic drugs, adrenergic drugs, antipsychotics, antidepressants, sedatives, hypnotics, anxiolytics, antiepileptic drugs, anesthetics and antiparkinsonian drugs, respectively. Students and teachers will be able to integrate the knowledge presented in the book and apply medicinal chemistry concepts to understand the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of therapeutic agents in the body. The information offered by the book chapters will give readers a strong neuropharmacology knowledge base required for a practicing pharmacist.