Amphetamine and Its Analogs


Book Description

Much of recent amphetamine research has focused on action mechanisms which may represent a liability for abuse. The research further points to apparent psychopathological disorders induced or precipitated by such abuse. Understanding action mechanisms may aid investigations into the pathophysiology and treatment of these disorders. The overviews contained in this book, which cover myriad aspects of the chemistry, pharmacology, behavior, and toxicology of amphetamineand its analogs, can assist researchers by summarizing past findings and indicating new directions of study. Key Features * Presents advances in action mechanisms, toxicity, and psychopharmacology of amphetamine and its analogs * Examines amphetamine abuse in the United States and Japan * Reviews literature from the mid-1970s to the present




Neuropathology of Drug Abuse


Book Description

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge concerning neuropathologies resulting from drug abuse. The first chapters offer readers detailed information on the neurobiological basics of drug abuse and the results of neuroimaging studies in drug abusers. The focus of the book is on neuropathological findings in drug abusers for the predominant substances, which include cannabis, opiates, cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine and a broad spectrum of designer drugs. These findings are supported by histological illustrations and discussed in connection with recent scientific publications. A chapter specifically addressing clinicians is also included, and highlights the implications for further therapy. The book is essential reading for neuropathologists, neurologists, neuroradiologists and psychiatrists, as well as other health professionals and scientists interested and engaged in the problem of drug abuse. Although a great deal of data has been derived from animal models and from human neuroimaging studies, little is known about the morphological effects of drug abuse on the human brain. In recent years, fundamental drug-induced effects on the cellular elements of the brain have been detected. These alterations might not only be the substrate of the neuroimaging data but might also have implications for clinical research and therapy. In addition, drug abuse may induce premature neurodegeneration.




The Facts about Amphetamines


Book Description

Describes the history, characteristics, legal status, and abuse of amphetamines and methamphetamines.










Stimulants


Book Description

Underlying the design of the Handbook of Psychopharmacology is a prejudice that the study of drug influences on the mind has advanced to a stage where basic research and clinical application truly mesh. These later volumes of the Handbook are structured according to this conception. In certain volumes, groups of drugs are treated as classes with chapters ranging from basic chemistry to clinical application. Other volumes are assembled around topic areas such as anxiety or affective disorders. Thus, besides chapters on individual drug classes, we have included essays addressing broad areas such as "The Limbic-Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal System and Human Be havior" and "Peptides and the Central Nervous System. " Surveying these diverse contributions, one comes away with a sentiment that, far from being an "applied" science borrowing from fundamental brain chemistry and physiology, psychopharmacology has instead provided basic researchers with the tools and conceptual approaches which now are advancing neurobiology to a central role in modern biology. Especially gratifying is the sense that, while contributing to an understanding of how the brain functions, psychopharmacology is a discipline whose fruits offer genuine help to the mentally ill with promises of escalating benefits in the future. L. L. 1. S. D. I. S. H. S. VII CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 Amphetamines: Structure-Activity Relationships J. H. BIEL and B. A. Bopp 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2: Effects of Biogenic Amines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2. 1. Norepinephrine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2. 2. Dopamine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2. 3. Serotonin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 3. Central Stimulatory Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 3. 1. Phenethylamine Derivatives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .




Stimulant Drugs and ADHD


Book Description

Stimulant drugs are widely used in the treatment of ADHD in children and adults. Hundreds of studies over the past 60 years have demonstrated their effectiveness in improving attention span, increasing impulse control, and reducing hyperactivity and restlessness. Despite widespread interest in these compounds, however, their mechanisms of action in the central nervous system have remained poorly understood. Recent advances in the basic and clinical neurosciences now afford the possibility of elucidating these mechanisms. The current volume is the first to bring this expanding knowledge to bear on the central question of why and how stimulants exert their therapeutic effects. The result is a careful, comprehensive, and insightful integration of material by well-known scientists that significantly advances our understanding of stimulant effects and charts a course for future research. Part I presents a comprehensive description of the clinical features of ADHD and the clinical response to stimulants. Part II details the cortical and subcortical neuroanatomy and functional neurophysiology of dopamine and norepinephrine systems with respect to the regulation of attention, arousal, activity, and impulse control and the effects of stimulants on these systems. Part III is devoted to clinical research, including recent studies of neuroimaging, genetics, pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of stimulants, effects on cognitive functions, neurophysiological effects in humans with and without ADHD and in non-human primates, and comparison of stimulants and non-stimulants in the treatment of ADHD. Part IV is a masterful synthesis that presents alternative models of stimulant drug action and generates key hypotheses for continued research. The volume will be of keen interest to researchers and clinicians in psychiatry, psychology, and neurology, neuroscientists studying stimulants, and those pursuing development of new drugs to treat ADHD.




States of Brain and Mind


Book Description




Club Drugs and Novel Psychoactive Substances


Book Description

Emerging illicit drugs pose a significant clinical challenge. This handbook offers an engaging, concise guide to managing these challenges.




The Amphetamines


Book Description