Figure 1.

Drugs have been used to modify behaviour throughout humanity; however, the clinical use of drugs for specific conditions really developed from the start of the 20th century. This overview illustrates the timeline associated with the major classes of drugs used to treat psychiatric disorders. Although defined by their therapeutic target, the figure also indicates (arrows) where the same drugs have multiple therapeutic indications. An alternative approach to classification of psychiatric drugs is based on their psychopharmacology. Referred to as ‘Neuroscience-Based Nomenclature’ (http://www.nbn2.com/), this initiative has recategorised these drug treatments based on their pharmacology and mode of action rather than their first therapeutic indication.