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

~ (Author) "The use of psychoactive plants is practically a universal human phenomenon..." (more)

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.

Product Description

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.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 590 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press; 1 edition (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262692651
• ISBN-13: 978-0262692656
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #909,114 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #33 in

  Books > Professional & Technical > Medical > Pharmacology > Neuropsychopharmacology

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 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 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.

12 of 12 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

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.