EFFECT OF DRUGS ON MNESTIC PERFORMANCE - A METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH

The big issue with drugs, especially psychotropic substances, is to as sess their potential impact (beneficial or detrimental) on mnestic pro cesses as early as possible in the course of their development. This i s the scope of memory psychopharmacology, which now uses the findings of cognitive psychology, molecular biology and behavioural pharmacolog y in animals. It is now possible to study the cognitive effects of dru gs in man while following the methodological rules applying to early p hase trials. Examples are given, relating to anxiolytics, antidepressa nts and nootropic drugs.