Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology
January 26, 2015
David Baumeister, Luis M. Tojo, Derek K. Tracy
158 citations
There has been growing clinical, public, and media awareness and concern about the availability and potential harmfulness of so-called ‘legal highs’, which are more appropriately called new or novel psychoactive substances (NPS). A cat-and-mouse process has emerged wherein unknown chemists and laboratories are producing new, and as yet nonproscribed, compounds for human consumption; and as soon...
International review of neurobiology
2015
Jenny Bearn, Matthew O'Brien
Eating, drinking, sexual activity, and parenting invoke pleasure, an emotion that promotes repetition of these behaviors, are essential for survival. Euphoria, a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness, is an amplification of pleasure, aspired to one's essential biological needs that are satisfied. People use party drugs as a shortcut to euphoria. Ecstasy...
BioMed Research International
2015
Débora González, Marta Torrens, Magı́ Farré
44 citations
Background . 2C-B (Nexus) is one of the most widespread novel psychoactive substances. There is limited information about its pharmacological properties, and few studies in humans concern its acute and chronic effects. 2C-B has been classified as a stimulant, hallucinogen, entactogen, and/or empathogen. Objectives . To evaluate the emotional, subjective, and cardiovascular effects of 2C-B....
Current Neuropharmacology
December 10, 2014
Roberta Tittarelli, Giulio Mannocchi, Flaminia Pantano et al.
217 citations
Information from Internet and from published scientific literature, organized in the way we proposed in this review, provides an effective tool for specialists facing the emerging NPS threat to public health and public security, including the personnel working in Emergency Department.
Journal of Neuroscience
November 12, 2014
Michael H. Baumann, Ernesto Solis, Lucas R. Watterson et al.
157 citations
The abuse of synthetic psychoactive substances known as "designer drugs," or "new psychoactive substances" (NPS), is increasing at an alarming rate. NPS are purchased as alternatives to traditional illicit drugs of abuse and are manufactured to circumvent laws regulating the sale and use of controlled substances. Synthetic cathinones (i.e., "bath salts") and synthetic cannabinoids (i.e.,...
Drug Testing and Analysis
October 20, 2014
Gavin McLaughlin, Noreen Morris, Pierce V. Kavanagh et al.
18 citations
The recent occurrence of deaths associated with the psychostimulant cis-4,4'-dimethylaminorex (4,4'-DMAR) in Europe indicated the presence of a newly emerged psychoactive substance on the market. Subsequently, the existence of 3,4-methylenedioxy-4-methylaminorex (MDMAR) has come to the authors' attention and this study describes the synthesis of cis- and trans-MDMAR followed by extensive...
Addiction
July 1, 2014
Michael H. Baumann
49 citations
The emergence of ‘bath salts’ products containing synthetic cathinones represents a global public health threat. Synthetic cathinones have significant abuse potential, and the effects of high-dose administration can be life-threatening. More preclinical and human research is needed to understand the complex pharmacology and toxicology of these substances. During the past several years, there...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
March 27, 2014
Alfred Richard Green, David Nutt
Despite the publication of a substantial body of preclinical and clinical information on recent recreational drugs such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'ecstasy') and cathinone compounds such as mephedrone there remains a disturbing lack of consensus as to how dangerous these compounds are to the health of the individual and to society in general. This perspective proposes that use...
British Journal of Pharmacology
March 24, 2014
Andrew R. Green, Madeleine V. King, Sinead E Shortall et al.
70 citations
The substituted β‐keto amphetamine mephedrone (4‐methylmethcathinone) was banned in the UK in A pril 2010 but continues to be used recreationally in the UK and elsewhere. Users have compared its psychoactive effects to those of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine ( MDMA , ‘ecstasy’). This review critically examines the preclinical data on mephedrone that have appeared over the last 2–3 years and,...
Medicine Today
February 10, 2014
Mohammad Shafiqur Rahman Patwary, Kazi Abdullah Al Mamun
4 citations
Drug abuse has reached epidemic proportions in many countries including Bangladesh and threatens to overwhelm economic, social, and health care systems. In addition to their effects on the central nervous system, many of these agents induce profound changes in the heart and circulation that are responsible for a significant proportion of drug-related morbidity. Drugs that can affect the...