Abstract
The Advances in Pharmacology series began in 1962, and during its 60th year, Volume Ninety-Three was published entitled Behavioral Pharmacology of Drug Abuse: Current Status. Based on the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) monitoring and reporting, 1 the publication of Volume Ninety-Three was timely. With drug abuse and subsequent addiction and deaths caused by illicit drug use on the rise, 2 the need for an increased understanding of the toxicology and pharmacology of drugs, in general, is necessary.
The 456-page volume, with a single editor, is partitioned among 12 chapters which have 25 authors for the chapters. The e-textbook does not have an index but comes in PDF format, so quick and easy searching is possible and can be more thorough than thumbing through a printed index. The individual chapters are an informative combination of concept-focused and drug-specific orientations, giving the chapter authors the freedom to share their knowledge and wisdom with the readers; they do that quite well. The result is a valuable blend of encyclopedic knowledge, i.e., factual information for specific drugs, and epistemic knowledge, i.e., information from which new concepts, ideas and knowledge can evolve that can be used for general understanding of drug abuse and addiction.
Each of the chapters is structured with an Introduction, Conclusion, References and topical core content sections; however, the breadth and depth of the topical core content of the subject matter differ within each chapter, depending upon the extent to which the chapter author addresses the subject matter. The content sections of the chapters are generally arranged with a logical outline directive, making it easy for the reader to focus on specifically needed information. While the individual chapter outlines are not extensive, they are sufficient to guide the reader efficiently.
Essential topics for toxicologists and pharmacologists who address adverse effects of drugs, such as the interactions between opioids and stimulants, the qualitative and quantitative differences among stimulants, and the behavioral pharmacology of psychoactive drugs, are addressed in the book. In addition, there is a dual view of nicotine in two of the chapters. Two nearly open-ended topics, cannabinoid receptors and therapeutic targets for opioid abuse and pain management, are covered in a survey fashion, giving the reader guidance for their further pursuits. The titles of the specific chapters are as follows: • Interactions between opioids and stimulants: Behavioral pharmacology of abuse-related effects • In vitro and in vivo pharmacology of kratom • Human behavioral pharmacology of stimulant drugs; An update and narrative review • Human behavioral pharmacology of psychedelics • Stimulus functions of nicotine • The incentive amplifying effects of nicotine: Roles in alcohol seeking and consumption • Environmental influence on the preclinical evaluation of substance use disorder therapeutics • Examining the effects of psychoactive drugs on complex behavioral processes in laboratory animals • Receptor mechanisms underlying the CNS effects of cannabinoids and beyond • Potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of opioid abuse and pain • Trace amine-associated receptor 1 and drug abuse • Substance abuse and neurotransmission
In addition to the masterful dispatch of the expressed topical matter in the book, there is also a subtle theme fundamental to both toxicology and pharmacology that is often unconsciously accepted without full appreciation of its significance. Receptor Theory is one of those themes that is not ignored or taken for granted in the text; instead, it is a concept that has become inculcated into the daily practice of drug-related disciplines. In Behavioral Pharmacology of Drug Abuse: Current Status, Receptor Theory is subtly woven into each of the chapters in a matter-of-fact way.
The phrase “Receptor Theory” does not exist as a stand-alone phrase or topic but the fruits of Paul Ehrlich and John Langley3,4 are blended into each chapter poised to be used by any and all readers. To confirm my suspicions that receptor theory was an integral part of the book, I did a word search for “receptor,” and it appears 969 times which is more than two times per page, on average, but not once as part of the phrase “receptor theory.” This Receptor Theory awareness is not only a tribute to the authors but also to the book itself. To trigger the thoughts of a fundamental principle without expressly stating it is a testament to the skilled competence of the editor and the chapter authors.
Every toxicologist and pharmacologist who addresses drugs and their various dimensions such as behavioral effects, substance abuse, or the consequences of addiction, should have a copy of Behavioral Pharmacology of Drug Abuse: Current Status. When you begin using your newly acquired copy, become addicted to searching for embedded principles that guide toxicology and pharmacology; it can be rewarding, as I have so found!