Reviewing the Landscape of Psychopharmacology

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmaceutical Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 April 2026) | Viewed by 4365

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Psychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro Magna Graecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: psychopharmacology; mood and anxiety disorders; neurobiology of psychiatric treatments; clinical and translational research; drug safety in adult populations
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Psychopharmacology remains a rapidly evolving field, existing at the intersection of neuroscience, psychiatry, and pharmacology. Over recent decades, advances in neurobiology and neuroimaging have deepened our understanding of the mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders and their pharmacological treatments. At the same time, new challenges have emerged, including the need to improve the safety profiles of existing psychotropic medications, to address off-label prescribing practices, and to develop more personalized and mechanistically informed therapeutic strategies.

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive and critical overview of current trends, controversies, and innovations in psychopharmacology. We welcome contributions that explore the efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of action of psychotropic drugs, including antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, and stimulants. Potential submissions may include narrative or systematic reviews, meta-analyses, conceptual papers, or original data-driven contributions with a strong translational or clinical focus.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following areas: the neurobiological underpinnings of drug action; real-world data on safety and tolerability; psychopharmacological interventions in mood and anxiety disorders; pharmacovigilance and long-term outcomes; and ethical or regulatory issues surrounding novel therapeutics. We also encourage submissions addressing underexplored populations, such as adults with neurodevelopmental conditions or those with psychiatric comorbidities.

By bringing together diverse perspectives and methodologies, this Special Issue seeks to map the evolving landscape of psychopharmacology and to highlight future directions for both research and clinical practice.

Prof. Dr. Luca Steardo
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • psychopharmacology
  • mood disorders
  • neurobiology
  • drug safety
  • translational psychiatry

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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10 pages, 1081 KB  
Case Report
Severe Bupropion Overdose Resulting in Cardiac Arrest, Delayed Rhabdomyolysis, and Persistent Neurological Sequelae in an Adolescent
by Che-Pei Chang, Po-Chen Lin, Giou-Teng Yiang, Meng-Yu Wu and Shi-Bing Wong
Life 2025, 15(12), 1918; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15121918 - 15 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4044
Abstract
Bupropion overdose can result in severe neurological and cardiovascular toxicity. We describe a 16-year-old girl who ingested 4.2 g of extended-release bupropion (90.3 mg/kg), presenting with seizures and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. After 21 min of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, she was resuscitated and admitted with [...] Read more.
Bupropion overdose can result in severe neurological and cardiovascular toxicity. We describe a 16-year-old girl who ingested 4.2 g of extended-release bupropion (90.3 mg/kg), presenting with seizures and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. After 21 min of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, she was resuscitated and admitted with profound metabolic acidosis and electrocardiographic abnormalities. Serum testing confirmed markedly elevated bupropion levels. During hospitalization, she developed delayed rhabdomyolysis, hypoxic encephalopathy, and persistent neurological sequelae, including Parkinsonism and cognitive deficits. Supportive care led to gradual recovery, with normalization of cardiac conduction and drug clearance by day 20, though residual deficits remained at discharge after seven weeks. This case highlights the life-threatening complications of bupropion toxicity, the delayed risk of seizures, and the need for vigilance for secondary complications such as rhabdomyolysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviewing the Landscape of Psychopharmacology)
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