Neurological Aspects of Substance Abuse

Neurological Aspects of Substance Abuseis a pleasure to read. It is organized into an introductory chapter, followed by 11 chapters devoted to classes of abusable substances: opioids, amphetamine and other psychostimulants, cocaine, barbiturates and other hypnotics and sedatives, marijuana, hallucinogens, inhalants, phencyclidine, anticholinergics, ethanol, and tobacco. Emphasis is on neurologic and other medical effects of drugs, with descriptions of acute and chronic effects, pharmacologic treatments for withdrawal and dependence, and obstetrical and perinatal problems associated with alcohol and drug use. The author carefully explains various concepts important to addiction medicine, such as abuse, dependence, tolerance, and brain reward. He integrates this kind of conceptual material with descriptions of pharmacology and neurologic effects and a few comments on societal attitudes toward drug and alcohol use as well. The information presented is current and well balanced. There are, for example, extensive discussions of the non—human immunodeficiency virus