Classification, actions and adverse effects of psychotropic drugs

Psychotropic drugs can be classified according to their chemical structures, their neurochemical characteristics, their pharmacological effects, and their clinical qualities. A categorization corresponding to their principal fields of indication results in the following classes: antipsychotic drugs, antidepressive drugs, mood stabilizers, antipanic drugs, anxiolytic drugs, anticonvulsant drugs, drugs for movement disorders, and a residual drug class. Both the chemical structure and the pharmacological properties offer clues to subdivide these psychotropic drug classes. This subdividion is clinically relevant as it corresponds to the efficacy in certain psychic and behavioural disorders and also with the occurrence of certain side effects. Desired and undesired effects are discussed in a general sense