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Stimulant and hallucinogenic novel psychoactive substances; an update

F Schifano, A Vento, N Scherbaum, Amira Guirguis Orcid Logo

Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, Volume: 16, Issue: 11, Pages: 1109 - 1123

Swansea University Author: Amira Guirguis Orcid Logo

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Abstract

Introduction: The renewed interest in considering a range of stimulants, psychedelics and dissociatives as therapeutics emphasizes the need to draft an updated overview of these drugs’ clinical and pharmacological issues. Areas covered: The focus here was on: stimulants (e.g. amphetamines, methamphe...

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Published in: Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology
ISSN: 1751-2433 1751-2441
Published: UK Informa UK Limited 2023
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64847
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Abstract: Introduction: The renewed interest in considering a range of stimulants, psychedelics and dissociatives as therapeutics emphasizes the need to draft an updated overview of these drugs’ clinical and pharmacological issues. Areas covered: The focus here was on: stimulants (e.g. amphetamines, methamphetamine, and pseudoephedrine; phenethylamines; synthetic cathinones; benzofurans; piperazines; aminoindanes; aminorex derivatives; phenmetrazine derivatives; phenidates); classical (e.g. ergolines; tryptamines; psychedelic phenethylamines), and atypical (e.g. PCP/ketamine-like dissociatives) psychedelics. Stimulant and psychedelics are associated with: a) increased central DA levels (psychedelic phenethylamines, synthetic cathinones and stimulants); b) 5-HT receptor subtypes’ activation (psychedelic phenethylamines; recent tryptamine and lysergamide derivatives); and c) antagonist activity at NMDA receptors, (phencyclidine-like dissociatives). Expert opinion: Clinicians should be regularly informed about the range of NPS and their medical, psychobiological and psychopathological risks both in the acute and long term. Future research should focus on an integrative model in which pro-drug websites’ analyses are combined with advanced research approaches, including computational chemistry studies so that in vitro and in vivo preclinical studies of index novel psychoactives can be organized. The future of psychedelic research should focus on identifying robust study designs to convincingly assess the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics, molecules likely to present with limited dependence liability levels.
Keywords: Stimulants, hallucinogens, psychedelics, amphetamine-type stimulants, dissociatives
College: Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
Issue: 11
Start Page: 1109
End Page: 1123