The Psychopharmacology of Herbal Medicine: Plant Drugs That Alter Mind, Brain, and Behavior [Paperback]

Marcello Spinella (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0262692651 | ISBN-13: 978-0262692656 | Edition: 1

Virtually all cultures consume drugs from psychoactive plants. Caffeine, for example, is probably the most common stimulant in the world, and many modern medicines, such as morphine and codeine, are derived from plant sources. In these cases, scientific research has revealed the composition of the plants and how they interact with the nervous system. There are also many herbal medications with reputed therapeutic value that have not yet gained acceptance into mainstream medicine, partly because there has not been enough research to support their usefulness. Instead they are regarded as "alternative medicines." This is an active research area, however, and many current studies are focusing on identifying the active components, pharmacological properties, physiological effects, and clinical efficacy of herbal medicines. This book compiles and integrates the most up-to-date information on the major psychoactive herbal medicines -- that is, herbal medicines that alter mind, brain, and behavior. It focuses particularly on the effects on various areas of cognition, including attention, learning, and memory. The book covers all major classes of psychoactive drugs, including stimulants, cognitive enhancers, sedatives and anxiolytics, psychotherapeutic herbs, analgesics and anesthetic plants, hallucinogens, and cannabis.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

When seeking complementary or alternative mind- and behavior-altering medicine, people tend to prefer herbs over other methods. With the amount of research on herbal remedies increasing, this single, comprehensive source covering stimulants, cognitive enhancers, herbal sedatives, and analgesic and anesthetic plants is useful and timely. Spinella (psychology, Richard Stockton Coll.) provides extensive information on basic neuroscience and pharmacology and covers hallucinogens and cannabis. Extensive references are provided. Unfortunately, this work is more like a textbook than a compendium; the writing is solid but dry, and readers seeking an introduction to this subject will probably not want this level of detail. Lay readers will find Jonathan R.T. Davidson and Kathryn M. Connor's Herbs for the Mind (LJ 7/00) more accessible, while practitioners who need a quick introduction to herbs should see PDRO for Herbal Medicines (LJ 3/1/99) or Expanded Commission E Monographs (American Botanical Council, 2000). Recommended for medical libraries. Natalie Kupferberg, Ohio State Univ., Columbus
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Marcello Spinella is Assistant Professor of Psychology at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 500 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press; 1 edition (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262692651
• ISBN-13: 978-0262692656
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #800,423 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #56 in Books > Medical Books > Pharmacology > Neuropsychopharmacology

More About the Author

Marcello Spinella got his bachelors degree in psychology from Fairlegh Dickinson University and his Ph.D. in neuropsychology from the City University of New York. He is an associate professor of psychology at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, where he has taught since 1999. His research interests include mindfulness, Buddhist psychology, neuropsychology, prefrontal systems, self-regulation, executive functions, neuroeconomics, altruism, and positive psychology.

His webpages are:

http://www.snurl.com/marcello

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Yoga-Nine-Vipassana/210058179009727

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just psychedelics, September 5, 2001

By 

Cindy Jones (http://www.sagescript.com) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Psychopharmacology of Herbal Medicine: Plant Drugs That Alter Mind, Brain, and Behavior (Paperback)

This book is a technical, complete and academic discussion of herbs that affect the brain, including therapeutic herbs, sedatives, as well as illicit herbs (herbs used to get a "high"). The author, Marcello Spinella, emphasis the importance of weighing all the risks and benefits of herbal medicine and discusses the latest research from scientific journals. Among the herbs reviewed here are valerian, chamomile, kava, passionflower and ginkgo. Also included is an overview of neuroscience and pharmacology. This is a very good reference book for someone serious about understanding how herbs affect the brain.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can science and herbs co-exist? Yes!, December 29, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Psychopharmacology of Herbal Medicine: Plant Drugs That Alter Mind, Brain, and Behavior (Paperback)

What makes this book stand out from the many hundred others out on the market is that it approaches the effects of herbs on the nervous system from a scientific, rather than pseudo- or anti-scientific, perspective. Rather than viewing herbs as being "alternative" and separate from science, Spinella scrutinizes the empirical evidence for and against the claimed effects of herbs on the brain. This book should be in every psychologist's, psychiatrist's, and physician's book shelf.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best resource of it's kind, August 29, 2011

By 

Daniel M. Taub (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Psychopharmacology of Herbal Medicine: Plant Drugs That Alter Mind, Brain, and Behavior (Paperback)

I have read this book more than once, used it for reports, casual reference, and as a topic of conversation at parties for friends who are more interested in geeking out about psychopharmacology than experiencing it firsthand. Complete with molecular models, a ton of references, discussion and beautiful organization, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in the field. Doctors would do well to pay more attention to herbal medicines like those discussed in this book.