The FASEB Journal
April 1, 2012
Kevin Sean Murnane, Leonard Lee Howell
The neuropharmacology of the sleep and arousal systems involves a complex interplay between multiple neurotransmitter systems. Previous work has downplayed the role of dopamine in sleep and wakefulness, at least in part, because dopamine neurons do not appear to change their firing rates across arousal states. In the present study, we examined the wake promoting effects of amphetamine and...
British Journal of Pharmacology
March 9, 2012
A. C. Parrott
50 citations
In this issue of the BJP , Green et al . suggest that animal data could not be used to predict the adverse effects of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in humans and that MDMA did not produce 5‐HT neurotoxicity in the human brain. This proposal was, however, not accompanied by a review of the empirical evidence in humans. The neuroimaging data on 5‐HT markers in abstinent recreational...
Neurotoxicology and Teratology
March 5, 2012
Lynn T. Singer, David G. Moore, Sarah Fulton et al.
77 citations
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or "Ecstasy" is one of the most widely used illicit recreational drugs among young adults. MDMA is an indirect monoaminergic agonist and reuptake inhibitor that primarily affects the serotonin system. Preclinical studies in animals have found prenatal exposure related to neonatal tremors and long-term learning and memory impairments. To date, there are...
Neuropharmacology
March 2012
John D Elsworth, Stephanie M Groman, J David Jentsch et al.
Repeated, intermittent administration of the psychotropic NMDA antagonist phencyclidine (PCP) to laboratory animals causes impairment in cognitive and executive functions, modeling important sequelae of schizophrenia; these effects are thought to be due to a dysregulation of neurotransmission within the prefrontal cortex. Atypical antipsychotic drugs have been reported to have measurable, if...
Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental
March 1, 2012
Elizabeth Murray, Raimondo Bruno, John Brown
‘Ecstasy’ (3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine) induces impaired functioning in the serotonergic system, including the occipital lobe. This study employed the ‘tilt aftereffect’ paradigm to operationalise the function of orientation‐selective neurons among ecstasy consumers and controls as a means of investigating the role of reduced serotonin on visual orientation processing. The magnitude of...
Neuropsychopharmacology
March 2012
André Schmidt, Rosilla Bachmann, Michael Kometer et al.
Psychotomimetics like the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist ketamine and the 5-hydroxytryptamine2A receptor (5-HT(2A)R) agonist psilocybin induce psychotic symptoms in healthy volunteers that resemble those of schizophrenia. Recent theories of psychosis posit that aberrant encoding of prediction errors (PE) may underlie the expression of psychotic symptoms. This study used a...
Psychopharmacology
March 1, 2012
Peter H. Addy
71 citations
Salvia divinorum has been used for centuries, and nontraditional use in modern societies is increasing. Inebriation and aftereffects of use are poorly documented in the scientific literature. This double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study analyzed subjective experiences of salvinorin A (SA) inebriation and consequences of use after 8 weeks. Thirty middle-aged, well-educated,...
February 2, 2012
Donald G. Barceloux
3 citations
This chapter contains sections titled: History Identifying Characteristics Exposure Dose Effect Toxicokinetics Histopathology and Pathophysiology Clinical Response Diagnostic Testing Treatment References
Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
January 2012
M A Starr, M E Page, B D Waterhouse
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is known to enhance tactile sensory perception, an effect that contributes to its popularity as a recreational drug. The neurophysiological basis for the effects of MDMA on somatosensation are unknown. However, MDMA interactions with the serotonin transporter (SERT) and subsequent enhancement of serotonin neurotransmission are well known. The rat...
Psychopharmacology
January 2012
Lena Wischhof, Michael Koch
Overactivation of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT)(2A) receptors causes impulsivity and attentional deficits. Since 5-HT(2A) receptors are known to entertain antagonistic interactions with metabotropic glutamate (mGlu)2/3 receptors, this interaction may provide an alternative target for a novel class of antipsychotics. The study characterizes interactions between 5-HT(2A) and mGlu2/3...