Final answer:
Drugs that alleviate the symptoms of mental dysfunction are called psychotropics, which include various types such as stimulants, depressants, and antipsychotics, and affect brain chemistry to alter mood and behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
Drugs that alleviate the symptoms of mental dysfunction by affecting the brain are called psychotropics. These substances, also known as psychoactive drugs, have the ability to change brain function, leading to changes in mood, thinking, perception, and behavior. Psychoactive drugs can be classified into various categories such as stimulants, depressants, anxiolytics, and antipsychotics, depending on their effects on the neurotransmitter systems within the brain. They may act as agonists, enhancing neurotransmitter activity, or as antagonists, reducing such activity. For instance, antidepressants and anxiolytics are used to treat conditions like depression and anxiety, while stimulants are used for attention deficit disorder and antipsychotics are for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.