HPLC-DAD determination of CNS-acting drugs in human blood, plasma, and serum.

This is a review of the literature regarding high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) procedures for the detection and determination of several categories of central nervous system-acting drugs in blood, plasma, or serum samples. Psychiatric and neurological drugs, such as antidepressants, benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, antiepileptics, and antiparkinsonians, have been included because of their relevance to therapeutic drug monitoring and systematic toxicological analysis. Articles published between 2000 and January 2012 have been taken into consideration. This review has focused on methodological approaches, sample pretreatment techniques, and other practical aspects.