Psychoneuroendocrinology: The Scientific Basis of Clinical Practice [Paperback]

Owen M. Wolkowitz (Author), Anthony J. Rothschild (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0880488573 | ISBN-13: 978-0880488570 | Publication Date: March 2003 | Edition: 1

The mind-body connection is one of the hottest topics in medicine today, documented by enormous amounts of data regarding hormone effects on the brain and behavior. Yet it is only nowAwith the debut of this thought-provoking volumeAthat we find an up-to-date, sophisticated reference that focuses on the clinical relevance of behavioral endocrinology and is written for practicing clinicians and researchers. This wide-ranging volume shows how the principles and emerging findings of psychoneuroendocrinology can inform modern clinical practice and lead to new breakthroughs in future science and practice. Here, leading authoritiesAinternationally respected researchers and practicing cliniciansAreview empirical findings in their areas of expertise, highlight the clinical significance of these findings, and provide, wherever appropriate, clinical guidelines for the management of patients. Beginning with a lively history of psychoneuroendocrinology (including its many false starts), this book continues on to discussions of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hormone system, the gonadal hormone system, and the thyroid hormone system from each of the three paths generally used for psychoneuroendocrinological investigation: -Alterations in endogenous hormone levels observed in primary psychiatric illness -Psychiatric concomitants or sequelae of hormonal dysregulation in primary endocrinologic illness -Behavioral effects of exogenously administered hormones or hormone antagonists (both the study of the side effects of hormonal medications and the use of hormones and hormone antagonists as psychotropic medications) An unmatched diversity of topics reveals the full breadth and depth of this volume: diabetes mellitus, corticosteroid effects on mood and cognition, CushingAs syndrome and AddisonAs disease, oral contraceptives and estrogen replacement therapy, psychiatric illness associated with the menstrual cycle and perimenopause, postpartum behavioral changes, anabolic/androgenic steroid use, and a thorough review of thyroid function in psychiatric disorders. Particularly fascinating are sections on the role of neuropeptides and hypothalamic-releasing factors in psychiatric illness, the use of laboratory tests and imaging procedures in evaluating hormonal function in psychiatric patients, the place of newer AalternativeA hormonal medications such as melatonin and DHEA in therapeutics, and a provocative and compelling final chapter on the role stress plays in precipitating illness. Designed for both clinician and researcher-scientist, this richly informative guide will also prove an invaluable addition to graduate courses in neuroscience, neuroendocrinology, the biological basis of behavior, and consultation psychiatry. Neuroscientists/neurologists, endocrinologists, obstetricians/gynecologists, internists, family practitioners, nurses, and interested laypersons round out the wide audience for this remarkable volume.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This scholarly and comprehensive text summarizes advances that have been made in the last three decades in the relations between hormones and psychopathology. The volume is essential reading for clinicians, neuroscientists and students interested in the biological basis of psychiatry." - Ian M. Goodyer, M.D., Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Cambridge University; "Psychoneuroendocrinology: The Scientific Basis of Clinical Practice is an extremely timely and important book that is comprehensive in scope. This text should be on the bookshelf of every clinician and researcher... but it won't stay on the shelf for long! It is extremely readable and provides important clinical insights built on an integrated presentation of basic and clinical psychoneuroendocrinology." - Robert N. Golden, M.D., Professor and Chair of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

About the Author

Owen M. Wolkowitz, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Psychopharmacology Assessment Clinic at the University of California, San Francisco, Medical Center. He was awarded the Curt P. Richter Prize in 1992 by the International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology for his contributions to the field. Anthony J. Rothschild, M.D., is the Irving S. and Betty Brudnick Professor and Director of Clinical Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, and its clinical partner, UMass Memorial Medical Center, in Worchester, Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 588 pages
• Publisher: Amer Psychiatric Pub; 1 edition (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0880488573
• ISBN-13: 978-0880488570
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,108,103 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent info, mired format, October 26, 2009

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This review is from: Psychoneuroendocrinology: The Scientific Basis of Clinical Practice (Paperback)

This book is an excellent comprehensive guide to how hormones contribute to psychiatric disorders, and how those disorders influence hormones. It is well written & explains the endocrine pathways thoroughly without getting bogged down in details. It is well written, well thought out, & at times, offers historical perspectives that help make sense of things. It obviously took a lot of energy to compile this.

My only complaint is that while the authors give due credit to the many extensive studies they cite, those citations are listed in the body of the chapter sentences. It's hard sometimes to sift through the material with the citations in the way. But it's definitely worth taking the time to do so.