The neuroscience-based nomenclature (NbN) approach:1

  • Integrates contemporary advances in neuroscience
  • Informs clinical decision-making about prescribing
  • Facilitates patient understanding of their prescription and enhances adherence
  • Accommodates the inclusion of new types of pharmacological domains and/or mechanism of action into the nomenclature

In addition to naming medications according to their pharmacological domain and/or mechanism of action, the NbN includes four additional dimensions:1

  • Approved indication
  • Efficacy and side effects
  • Practical notes
  • Eurobiology

Abbreviation:

NbN=neuroscience-based nomenclature

Reference:

1.Zohar J, Stahl S, Moller H, et al. A review of the current nomenclature for psychotropic agents and an introduction to the Neuroscience-based Nomenclature. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2015; 25: 2318–2325.

2.Leucht S, Cipriani A, Spineli L, et al. Comparative efficacy and tolerability of 15 antipsychotic drugs in schizophrenia: a multiple-treatments meta-analysis. Lancet 2013; 382: 951–62.

3.Kendall T. The rise and fall of the atypical Antipsychotics. Br J Psych 2011; 199: 266–268.

4.Bonham C & Abbott C. Are second generation antipsychotics a distinct class? J Psych Pract 2008; 14: 225–231.

5.Miyamoto S, Duncan GE, Goff DC, Lieberman JA. Therapeutics of schizophrenia. In: Davis KL, Charney D, Coyle JT, Nemeroff C (eds). Neuropsychopharmacology: The Fifth Generation of Progress. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia 2002:775–807.