Amphetamine was discovered in 1887 and exists as two enantiomers: levoamphetamine and dextroamphetamine. At therapeutic doses, amphetamine causes emotional and cognitive effects such as euphoria, change in desire for sex, increased wakefulness, and improved cognitive control. Larger doses of amphetamine may impair cognitive function and induce rapid muscle breakdown. Addiction is a serious risk with heavy recreational amphetamine use, but is unlikely to occur from long-term medical use at therapeutic doses.
About Amphetamine in brief
Amphetamine was discovered in 1887 and exists as two enantiomers: levoamphetamine and dextroamphetamine. Amphetamine is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, narcolepsy, and obesity. At therapeutic doses, amphetamine causes emotional and cognitive effects such as euphoria, change in desire for sex, increased wakefulness, and improved cognitive control. Larger doses of amphetamine may impair cognitive function and induce rapid muscle breakdown. Addiction is a serious risk with heavy recreational amphetamine use, but is unlikely to occur from long-term medical use at therapeutic doses. Very high doses can result in psychosis, which rarely occurs even during long- term use. Long-term amphetamine exposure at sufficiently high doses in some animal species is known to produce abnormal dopamine system development or nerve damage. In humans with ADHD, pharmaceutical amphetamines, at therapeutic dosages, appear to improve brain development and nerve growth. Randomized controlled trials of continuous stimulant therapy for the treatment of ADHD spanning 2 years have demonstrated treatment effectiveness and safety. One review highlighted a nine-month randomized controlled trial for ADHD in children that found an increase in average increase of 5 IQ points, continued decreases in attention, and continued hyperactivity and continued disruptive behaviors and hyperactivity. Another review indicated that, based upon the longest follow-up studies conducted to date, lifetime stimulant Therapy that begins during childhood is effective for controlling ADHD symptoms and reduces the risk of developing a substance use disorder as an adult.
It is a prescription drug in many countries, and unauthorized possession and distribution are often tightly controlled due to the significant health risks associated with recreational use. The first amphetamine pharmaceutical was Benzedrine, a brand which was used to treats a variety of conditions, particularly for depression and chronic pain. Currently, pharmaceutical amphetamine is prescribed as racemic amphetamine, Adderall, dextraamphetamine, or the inactive prodrug lisdexamfetamine. It is also the parent compound of its own structural class, the substituted amphetamine, which includes prominent substances such as bupropion, cathinone, MDMA, and methamphetamine. The term is frequently used informally to refer to any combination of the enantiomer, or to either of them alone. Amphetamine increases monoamine and excitatory neurotransmission in the brain, with its most pronounced effects targeting the norepinephrine and dopamine neurotransmitter systems. It also improves function in several parts of the brain,. such as the right caudate nucleus of the basal ganglia. It can also improve reaction time, fatigue resistance, and increased muscle strength. It has been used in the past to treat nasal congestion and depression, and is sometimes prescribed off-label for its past medical indications, such as depression and Chronic pain. The drug is also used as an athletic performance enhancer and cognitive enhancer, and recreationally as an aphrodisiac and euphoriant. In the U.S. it is marketed under the brand name Evekeo, among others.
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This page is based on the article Amphetamine published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 16, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
