Grand Challenge in Psychopharmacology: Setting Priorities to Shape a Bright Future

Psychopharmacology combines two terms, psychology and pharmacology describing how biologically active compounds including drugs regulate psychobiological processes and affect behaviors. Reinhard Lorichius originated the term in 1548 in his “Psychopharmakon, hoc est medicina animae” a collection of prayers in which the term “psychopharmakon” relates to a spiritual medicine to alleviate affliction and miserable situations of life (1, 2). Foundations of modern psychopharmacology appear in the nineteenth century with the discovery of chemical agents, such as morphine, bromide salts, chloral hydrate, and other general anesthetics. A few decades later, the psychostimulant cocaine and depressant barbiturates were identified. During the first half of the twentieth century hallucinogenic compounds such as mescaline and LSD, and psychoactive amphetamines were also discovered (2–5).