RationaleResearch with animals suggests that central 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) function may be attenuated for a period following a single dose of +/-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'ecstasy'). If the same is true in humans, then functions thought to be modulated by 5-HT may differ in MDMA users compared with non-users a few days after the drug is taken.AimsThe present study therefore...
The iboga alkaloid ibogaine and the novel iboga alkaloid congener 18-methoxycoronaridine are putative anti-addictive agents. Using patch-clamp methodology, the actions of ibogaine and 18-methoxycoronaridine at various neurotransmitter receptor ion-channel subtypes were determined. Both ibogaine and 18-methoxycoronaridine were antagonists at alpha 3 beta 4 nicotinic receptors and both agents...
Psilocybin poisoning produces biphasic reactions composed of a schizophrenic phase and a panic attack-like phase. There is a time lag of several hours between phases, which may be considered an accumulation time in certain sites between the gut and the brain. So far as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) congeners are concerned, no sites are to be found except the amine precursor uptake and...
Abstract The popular recreational drug Ecstasy (3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA, and related congeners) is neurotoxic upon central serotonergic systems in animal studies. So far, the most convincing evidence for neurotoxicity‐related functional deficits in humans derives from neurocognitive studies demonstrating dose‐related memory problems in Ecstasy users. The aim of the current...
Abstract Human users of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘Ecstasy’) users may be at risk of developing MDMA‐induced neuronal injury. Previously, no methods were available for directly evaluating the neurotoxic effects of MDMA in the living human brain. However, development of in vivo neuroimaging tools has begun to provide insights into the effects of MDMA in the human brain. In this...
Increasing evidence from neuroimaging and behavioral studies suggests that functional disturbances within cortico-striato-thalamic pathways are critical to psychotic symptom formation in drug-induced and possibly also naturally occurring psychoses. Recent basic and clinical research with psychotomimetic drugs, such as the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonist, ketamine, and...
The past several years have seen a marked increase in the recreational use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or "Ecstasy". MDMA use is especially common among young people participating in dance parties called "raves". Paramethoxyamphetamine (PMA) exhibits both structural and pharmacological similarity to MDMA. It may, however, be a more potent central stimulant, particularly in its...
Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical & Research NewsFull Access'Imagery Rehearsal' Can Control PTSD-Related NightmaresJoan Arehart-TreichelJoan Arehart-TreichelPublished Online:21 Sep 2001https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.36.18.0023In 1994, a Wyoming native—"Tom"—was hiking in the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park when an 800-pound grizzly bear tackled him and...
CYP2D6 is involved in the metabolism of several classes of drugs, including tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and various amphetamines. CYP2D6*10 is an allelic variant, producing an enzyme with Pro34Ser and Ser486Thr amino acid substitutions. Approximately 75% of Asians possess the *10 allele. We sought to further characterize CYP2D6.10 catalytically in vitro in...
Vision-inducing plants ("hallucinogens") are important in many societies, evoking powerful emotional, psychological, cognitive, religious, spiritual, therapeutic and political reactions. These substances' psychophysiological properties shape cross- cultural similarities in patterns of use and experiences, while political factors shape their cultural desirability. Neurological studies illustrate...