In recent years, use of psychoactive synthetic stimulants has grown rapidly. 5-(2-Aminopropyl)indole (5-IT) is a synthetic drug associated with a number of fatalities, that appears to be one of the newest 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) replacements. Here, the monoamine-releasing properties of 5-IT, its structural isomer 6-(2-aminopropyl)indole (6-IT), and MDMA were compared using in...
We examined the effects of three benzofurans [1-(Benzofuran-5-yl)-N-methylpropan-2-amine (5-MAPB), 1-(Benzofuran-2-yl)-N-methylpropan-2-amine (2-MAPB), and 1-(Benzofuran-5-yl)-N-ethylpropan-2-amine (5-EAPB)] on the extracellular monoamine level in mouse corpus striatum by the microdialysis method and compared them with the effects of psychoactive 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). The...
Un’allucinazione vissuta consensualmente abbandonandosi all’oblio della coscienza: un “viaggio” allucinante nelle profondità dell’inconscio, intrapreso dall’artista nel rischioso tentativo di raggiungere senza certezza uno stato di “superiore” ispirazionee di mistica illuminazione, lasciando affiorare le proprie visioni ed i propri fantasmi interiori dalle nebbie lisergiche dell’estasi chimica...
Recently, the number of new psychoactive substances (NPS) appearing on the illicit drug market has shown a marked increase. Although many users perceive the risk of using NPS as medium or low, these substances can pose a serious health risk and several NPS have been implicated in drug-related deaths. In Europe, frequently detected NPS are 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B),...
Over the last decade, use of phenethylamines has become increasingly prevalent. This study aimed to describe typical aspects of phenethylamine poisoning in order to better inform patient care. Phenethylamine poisoning cases reported to the Poison Control Center of Angers, France, from January, 2007 to December, 2013 were examined. Clinical findings were examined in 105 patients, including...
Figure: Phenethylamine, top left; 2C-I, top right; and 25I-NBOMe, below.FigureAt least 19 young people died between March 2012 and November 2013 from the so-called N-BOMB drugs, synthetic hallucinogens that can be deadlier than LSD, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Chemist Alexander Shulgin developed a series of hallucinogenic 2C drugs in the early 1970s by adding...
Hallucinogens, also referred to as psychedelics, are a broad range of agents that alter perception in different ways. An estimated 1.3 million Americans are current (past month) users of hallucinogens. Hallucinogen use is highest among young adults; 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is the most commonly used agent, followed by lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and phencyclidine (PCP)....
ArgumentumJune 29, 2015Sandro Rodrigues, Fernando Rocha Beserra
The article examines the harms caused by the way how the prohibitionism has been approaching the human relationship with psychedelic substances, which has led to the necessity of promoting a clinical and political debate, carried out through the First Seminar about Psychedelic Drugs in Rio de Janeiro. Based on such debate, the text introduces a terminology about psychedelia and presents some...
Therapeutic potential of psychedelic agentsAmphetamine, methylphenidate, morphine, heroin and ketamine are all drugs that can potentially be used clinically but, whenever we hear the word MDMA, the first thoughts that come to mind are of ecstasy, rave parties and people behaving in an odd manner and experiencing hallucinations, paranoia and disinhibition.Recently, there has been a lot of...
Encoding of episodic memory requires long-term potentiation (LTP) of neurotransmission at excitatory synapses of the hippocampal circuitry. Previous data obtained with the application of exogenous 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in hippocampal slices indicate that 5-HT blocks LTP, which contrasts with the facilitatory effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on learning and memory...