[Pharmacological profile of the main psychotropic drugs: place of nomifensine (author's transl)]

Abstract

Numerous methods of experimental psychopharmacology can be used. They help to draw up the profile of a new drug and then to compare this profile to those of the main reference drugs. This predictive psychopharmacology gives good results when the new substances is closing resembling already existing substances, but is more difficult with new substances. The most used tests are presented and more precisely those which are particularly used for antidepressants study. The profile of nomifensine ressembles that of the classical antidepressants but has two clear different characteristics: presence of a stimulant component and lack of anticholinergic activity.