Psychopharmacology
March 1, 2013
Katherine A Maclean, Matthew W Johnson, Chad J Reissig et al.
134 citations
Salvinorin A is a kappa opioid agonist and the principal psychoactive constituent of the plant Salvia divinorum, which has increased in popularity as a recreational drug over the past decade. Few human studies have examined salvinorin A. This double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the dose-related effects of inhaled salvinorin A in individuals with histories of hallucinogen use. Eight...
Journal of Phylogenetics & Evolutionary Biology
2013
Massimo Cocchi, Fabio Gabrielli, Lucio Tonello
9 citations
This work suggests the possibility of the existence of contiguity in the molecular evolution of consciousness, between man and animal.From the experimental point of view and in terms of hypotheses, it seems that many elements lead to considerations about a common molecular evolutionary origin of the consciousness in animals and humans.It seems, also, evident that the increasing levels of...
edoc (University of Basel)
2013
Cédric M. Hysek
The amphetamine derivative 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) is a widely used recreational drug, which produces strong psychological effects such as increased empathy and sociability. MDMA inhibits the uptake of and releases serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine via an interaction with the respective monoamine transporter. While the role of serotonin in the human pharmacology...
Psychopharmacology
January 2013
David R Maguire, Jun-Xu Li, Wouter Koek et al.
The serotonin (5-HT) system is involved in pain modulation, and 5-HT receptor agonists can enhance antinociceptive effects of mu opioid receptor agonists. Less is known about the actions of 5-HT receptor agonists on other effects of opioids. This study examined the effects of non-contingent and contingent administration of the 5-HT(2A) receptor agonists DOM and quipazine on i.v. heroin...
Current Pharmaceutical Design
2013
Olga Valverde, Marta Rodríguez‐arias
The amphetamine derivative 3, 4 Methylenedioxymethanphetamine (MDMA) is a powerful central nervous system stimulant that displays numerous pharmacological effects, including neurotoxicity. MDMA, or ecstasy, acts by inducing the release of different neurotransmitters depending on the animal species and, in particular, it produces the release of serotonin and dopamine. MDMA induces rewarding and...
Neurotoxicology
January 2013
João Paulo Capela, Silvana Da Costa Araújo, Vera Marisa Costa et al.
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or "Ecstasy") and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine hydrochloride (DOI) are hallucinogenic amphetamines with addictive properties. The hippocampus is involved in learning and memory and seems particularly vulnerable to amphetamine's neurotoxicity. We evaluated the neurotoxicity of DOI and MDMA in primary neuronal cultures of hippocampus obtained from Wistar...
Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology
2013
Yongmei Hou, Qin Huang, Ravi Prakash et al.
Near death experiences (NDE) are receiving increasing attention by the scientific community because not only do they provide a glimpse of the complexity of the mind-brain interactions in 'near-death' circumstances but also because they have significant and long lasting effects on various psychological aspects of the survivors. The over-all incidence-reports of NDEs in literature have varied...
Santé mentale au Québec
2013
Thanh-Lan Ngô
Interventions based on mindfulness have become increasingly popular. This article reviews the empirical literature on its effects on mental and physical health, discusses presumed mechanisms of action as well as its proposed neurobiological underpinning. Mindfulness is associated with increased well-being as well as reduced cognitive reactivity and behavioral avoidance. It seems to contribute...
World Journal of Biological Chemistry
2013
Eduardo Ferreira de Castro-Neto, Rafael Henrique Da Cunha, Dartiu Xavier Da Silveira et al.
51 citations
AIM: To evaluate changes in neurotransmission induced by a psychoactive beverage ayahuasca in the hippocampus and amygdala of naive rats. METHODS: The level of monoamines, their main metabolites and amino acid neurotransmitters concentrations were quantified using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Four groups of rats were employed: saline-treated and rats receiving 250, 500 and 800...
December 1, 2012
D. Compton, Melissa C. Selinger, E. Westman et al.
Fo xy or Methoxy Fo xy (5-MeO-DIPT) is one of a series of new "club drugs" that within the past decade has gained in popularity among recreational users as an alternative to MDMA (Ecstasy). Unlike M DMA, not much is known about the neurobiological consequences of 5-MeO-DIPT use. Little is known about the effects of either co mpound on learning in a nonspatial appetitive task. In the present...