pszichotróp

Pszichotróp is a Hungarian term used to describe substances that act primarily on the central nervous system to alter mood, perception, cognition, or behavior. The term corresponds to the English "psychotropic" and is commonly used in medical, pharmaceutical, and regulatory contexts in Hungary and other European languages. Psychotropic substances include a wide range of agents, from clinically approved medicines to illicit drugs and some herbal preparations. Mechanistically, these drugs modulate neurotransmitter systems such as dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate, and acetylcholine.

They are often categorized by therapeutic use: antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics and sedatives, stimulants, and mood stabilizers. A parallel pharmacological classification groups them by primary action, including monoaminergic agents, GABAergic agents, glutamatergic modulators, and cholinergic drugs. Psychedelic or hallucinogenic substances (e.g., psilocybin, LSD) are psychotropic as well, though many have restricted legal status.

Regulation varies by country; many psychotropic drugs require a prescription and are monitored for safety due to side effects, drug interactions, and potential dependence or abuse. Non-medical use of psychotropic substances is a public health concern in many regions.

The term reflects a long-standing field, psychopharmacology, which studies how these drugs affect mental processes and behavior. Etymology traces to the Greek psyche, mind, and tropos, turn or affect.