Overview: Beta-Adrenergic
Blocking Agents: Perspectives in Psychiatry
Vernon M. Neppe
The beta-adrenergic blocking agents have been used
for a wide variety of medical and psychiatric indications.
Amongst those psychiatric indications that involve current
serious usage are anxiety, rage, psychosis, and stress.
The application of beta-adrenergic blocking agents to
these four conditions is discussed in detail. The special
perspective of appropriate use of these drugs, namely,
monitoring of psychophysiological parameters as a means
of adequately titrating dosage and careful choice of
drug depending on degree of lipid solubility are particularly
discussed as are the actions at neurotransmitter levels
in the brain. The choice of beta-adrenergic blocking
agent between such drugs as propranolol with its extensive
research base and the largely non-lipid soluble agents
such as nadalol with their limited psychiatric research
base is discussed in some detail.
Keywords
Beta blockade, Beta blockers, Beta-adrenergic blocking
agents, Dosage, Indications Anxiety, Lipophilicity,
Properties Psychosis, Pulse, Rage, Stress, Tremor, Use,
Withdrawal
|
