What do psychostimulants do?
Psychostimulants are the most used psychotropic substances over the world. A “psychostimulant” can be defined as a psychotropic substance with the capacity to stimulate the central nervous system. It causes excitation and elevated mood, as well as increased alertness and arousal.
How do psychostimulants work in the brain?
It is widely believed, however, that these drugs produce their effects by enhancing dopamine neurotransmission in the brain, especially in limbic areas such as the nucleus accumbens, by inducing dopamine transporter-mediated reverse transport and/or blocking dopamine reuptake though the dopamine transporter.
What are examples of psychostimulants?
Psychostimulants,1 broadly construed, include drugs of abuse, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as therapeutic drugs such as mixed amphetamine salts (Benzedrine, Adderall, Vyvanse), methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Focalin), and modafinil (Provigil, Sparlon2).
Can Dexamphetamine cause memory loss?
We found that AMP impaired memory retrieval in healthy young adults at the same doses that enhanced memory formation in previous studies. Dextroamphetamine did not alter recall or recognition of previously studied items, but it markedly increased the number of recall intrusions and falsely recognized test items.
What’s the relationship between blood amphetamines and impairment?
There was a positive relationship between blood amphetamines concentrations and impairment. The relationship reached a ceiling at blood amphetamines concentrations of 0.27-0.53 mg/l. Younger drivers were more often judged impaired than older drivers at similar concentrations.
What are the side effects of methamphetamine use?
Behavioral manifestations of methamphetamine use in arrestees included rapid or confused speech, rapid pulse, agitation, paranoia, dilated pupils, violet or aggressive attitude. Combined alcohol and methamphetamine use was uncommon, however use of marijuana was evident in about one third of the cases.
How are amphetamines related to traffic related skills?
There are indications that intake of high doses may impair traffic related skills, and that abuse of amphetamines may cause hypersomnolence at the end-of-binge. The present study aimed at investigating the concentration-effect relationship between blood amphetamines concentrations and impairment in a population of real-life users.
What are the symptoms of a chronic amphetamine user?
Amphetamines gradually offset brain chemical levels with continued use. For chronic drug users, psychotic-like symptoms can take shape early on. The more severe the symptoms, the more out of balance chemical levels have become, which also means a certain degree of brain damage is present. 2. Violent Behavior