Biochemical pharmacology of serotonin receptor subtypes: hypotheses for clinical applications of selective serotonin ligands

Summary

This article discusses the pharmacological basis for applying advances in serotonin receptor subtyping to the development of novel psychiatric medications. We review here the therapeutic potential of various agonists and antagonists of one or more of the serotonin receptor subtypes. We especially emphasize central nervous system disorders theoretically linked to serotonin and its receptors, including many which currently have no satisfactory treatment. This includes anxiety, depression, alcohol abuse and dependence, smoking cessation, stroke, migraine, schizophrenia, aggression, impulse control disorders, and eating disorders.