Progress in Neurotherapeutics and Neuropsychopharmacology. Volume 1. Jeffrey L. Cummings (Ed). 2006. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 169 pp., $122.00 (HB).
Progress in Neurotherapeutics and Neuropsychopharmacology provides an overview of what is for most neuropsychologists a new content area—clinical trials. Had I not spent five years in the pharmaceutical industry, I probably would have not given the topic of neurotherapeutics a second thought. This book can be useful on a number of counts. First, knowledge of neurotherapeutics is an indirect method for understanding the basic science of neurological diseases since drug development hinges upon appreciating the pathology of the disease. Second, three factors make neuropsychologists uniquely qualified to understand neurotherapeutics in the form of clinical trials—knowledge of most neurological disease states and research training. Finally, all clinical trials have a primary outcome measure. When the primary outcome measure is cognition, our contribution as neuropsychologists can be paramount. My introduction to neurotherapeutics was as outcome rater. An increasing number of neuropsychologists are being recruited by the pharmaceutical industry to work in medical affairs, mostly as medical science liaisons. For those interested in a career alternative, or the topic of neurotherapeutics, this text provides a starting point.