Title: The importance of the neuroscience-based nomenclature
Abstract
Current psychopharmacological nomenclature remains wedded to earlier period of scientific understanding, failing to reflect contemporary developments and knowledge, does not help clinicians to select the best medication for a given patient, and tending to confuse patients as they are being given a drug with a different name compared to their identified diagnosis (e.g. “Antipsychotic” for depression).
Four major colleges of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP, ACNP, Asian CNP, and CINP together with IUPHAR) proposed a new pharmacologically-driven nomenclature focusing on Pharmacological Domain and Mode of Action. It includes also 4 dimensions of additional information: 1—Approved Indications; 2—Efficacy and side effects; 3 — Practical note; and 4— Neurobiology. Several surveys in four different continents were conducted in order to examine satisfaction with the current psychopharmalogical nomenclature, as well as test the NbN. A significant proportion of the participants in the surveys were in favor of the proposed nomenclature.
It seems that clinicians found the available nomenclature system dissatisfactory and many times confusing for them and the patients. The proposed nomenclature seeks to up-end current usage by placing Pharmacology and Mode of Action rather than indication as the primary driven force.
In the session live demonstration of using NbN in key medications and also examples of the capabilities of its search engine will be presented.
References
Zohar J, Nutt DJ, Kupfer DJ, Moller HJ, Yamawaki S, Spedding M, Stahl SM. 2014. A proposal for an updated neuropsychopharmacological nomenclature. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. Jul;24(7):1005–14. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2013.08.004. Epub 2013 Sep 18.
Zohar J., Stahl S., Moller HJ., Blier P., Kupfer D., Yamawaki S., Uchida H., Spedding M., Goodwin GM., Nutt D., A review of the current nomenclature for psychotropic agents and an introduction to the Neuroscience-based Nomenclature, European Neuropsychopharmacology, Volume 25, Issue 12, December 2015, Pages 2318–2325.