Journal profile · Psychiatry
CNS Drugs
ISSN 1172-7047 · eISSN 1179-1934 · Springer International Publishing · NEW ZEALAND · Monthly · Founded 1994
CNS Drugs: CAS Zone 1 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 6.98; hybrid open access; APC about USD 5,090; median 124 days to acceptance (48 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: moderate; 110 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
CNS Drugs is published by Springer International Publishing and is in Zone 1 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Schizophrenia research and treatment, Epilepsy research and treatment and Treatment of Major Depression, together about 26.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Psychiatry and Mental health. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
CNS Drugs promotes rational pharmacotherapy within the disciplines of clinical psychiatry and neurology. The Journal includes: Overviews of contentious or emerging issues. Comprehensive narrative reviews that provide an authoritative source of information on pharmacological approaches to managing neurological and psychiatric illnesses. Systematic reviews that collate empirical evidence to answer a specific research question, using explicit, systematic methods as outlined by the PRISMA statement. Adis Drug Reviews of the properties and place in therapy of both newer and established drugs in neurology and psychiatry. Original research articles reporting the results of well-designed studies with a strong link to clinical practice, such as clinical pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic studies, clinical trials, meta-analyses, outcomes research, and pharmacoeconomic and pharmacoepidemiological studies.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Psychiatry
Editor-in-chief Sue PochonPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 20, Australia 10, New Zealand 8, United Kingdom 6, Italy 5 (61 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Schizophrenia research and treatmentMedicine9.8%
- Epilepsy research and treatmentMedicine8.4%
- Treatment of Major DepressionMedicine8.1%
- Pharmacological Effects and Toxicity StudiesMedicine6.8%
- Bipolar Disorder and TreatmentMedicine6.5%
- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeuroscience5.1%
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeuroscience5.1%
- Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and TreatmentsMedicine4.7%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Clinical Neurology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychiatry | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Clinical Neurology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Psychiatry | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Clinical Neurology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Psychiatry | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINEEmbasePsycINFOCASCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS, Semantic Scholar
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 6.98LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 7Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 7.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 13.7LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 2.16LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.42LetPub ·
- h-index
- 100LetPub ·
- h-index
- 164OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,108OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 7.45OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 55.83%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 94LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 1,200,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,957 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 82 | 47 | 60 |
| 2025 | 110 | 69 | 683 |
| 2024 | 85 | 58 | 1,321 |
| 2023 | 75 | 50 | 1,487 |
| 2022 | 92 | 63 | 3,364 |
| 2021 | 109 | 65 | 4,255 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
124 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 100 days – 190 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 29 days (90 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 157 days
- Sample
- 48 articles with submission and acceptance dates (213 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 6–12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- ModerateLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 10 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 5,090 / EUR 3,990 / GBP 3,190 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted18
- current opinionCurrent Opinion. Word count approximately up to 3000.Length not stated
- editorialInternal Review by Editorial Staff: The journal editor will perform an initial appraisal of each manuscript. When submitting your paper, please include a coveri…Length not stated
- editorial/commentaryEditorial/Commentary. Word count up to 1500.Length not stated
- leading articleLeading Article. Word count up to 4000.Length not stated
- letter to the editorLetter to the Editor. Word count up to 1000.Length not stated
- meta-analysisPlease note: There is no limit on the number of tables, figures or references that can accompany an article. Information that is relevant but not critical to un…Length not stated
- opinionPlease note: There is no limit on the number of tables, figures or references that can accompany an article. Information that is relevant but not critical to un…Length not stated
- original researchPlease note: There is no limit on the number of tables, figures or references that can accompany an article. Information that is relevant but not critical to un…Length not stated
- original research articlePlease note: There is no limit on the number of tables, figures or references that can accompany an article. Information that is relevant but not critical to un…Length not stated
- perspectivePlease note: There is no limit on the number of tables, figures or references that can accompany an article. Information that is relevant but not critical to un…Length not stated
- protocolPlease note: There is no limit on the number of tables, figures or references that can accompany an article. Information that is relevant but not critical to un…Length not stated
- research articlePlease note: There is no limit on the number of tables, figures or references that can accompany an article. Information that is relevant but not critical to un…Length not stated
- research letterResearch Letter: Word count up to 1500.Length not stated
- reviewPlease note: There is no limit on the number of tables, figures or references that can accompany an article. Information that is relevant but not critical to un…Length not stated
- review articlePlease note: There is no limit on the number of tables, figures or references that can accompany an article. Information that is relevant but not critical to un…Length not stated
- summary of research article (sra)Summary of Research Article (SRA): A standalone summary of a source article previously published in an Adis journal, or in a journal from another publisher.Length not stated
- systematic reviewPlease note: There is no limit on the number of tables, figures or references that can accompany an article. Information that is relevant but not critical to un…Length not stated
- therapy in practiceTherapy in Practice. Word count up to 5000.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship Principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
All original research must include a data availability statement. Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright and license term – CC BY-NC
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License Find more about the license agreement Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
Open Choice articles are published under CC BY-NC 4.0 with copyright retained by the author. Model summary
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in CNS Drugs, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Springer International Publishing
- Country or region
- NEW ZEALAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1994
- ISSN
- 1172-7047
- Electronic ISSN
- 1179-1934
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 40, Issue 10 (October 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about CNS Drugs
What CAS zone is CNS Drugs in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, CNS Drugs is in Zone 1 of Medicine, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Clinical Neurology / Pharmacology & Pharmacy / Psychiatry; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of CNS Drugs?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 6.98; CiteScore 13.7, h-index 164.
How long does peer review take at CNS Drugs?
Based on the dates recorded on 48 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 124 days (interquartile range 100–190 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Moderate”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of CNS Drugs?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of CNS Drugs based?
Of the 61 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (20), Australia (10) and New Zealand (8). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index CNS Drugs?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, CNS Drugs is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CAS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is CNS Drugs open access, and what is the APC?
CNS Drugs is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 5,090.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .