The Psychopharmacology of Schizophrenia

From our regular book review column.

We are at an interesting stage in the evolution of our field of psychiatry. We are approaching the time when the basic mechanisms underlying many psychiatric disorders will be elucidated and treatments will be developed based on these mechanisms. This is already happening with regard to treatment under development for Alzheimer’s disease. Although we are not yet at this stage of knowledge regarding schizophrenia, many of the basic tools that will be useful in reaching this level of understanding are becoming available. In The Psychopharmacology of Schizophrenia, Reveley and Deakin pull together a group of authors whose chapters allow the reader to gain an appreciation of the advances and limitations that are the current state of knowledge regarding schizophrenia.