Novel Psychoactive Substances 14Recent Progress on Neuropharmacological Mechanisms of Action for Selected Drugs

Hassan, Zurina and Oliver G., Bosch and Singh, Darshan and Narayanan, Suresh and Kasinather, B. Vicknasingam and Erich, Seifritz and Johannes, Kornhuber and Boris B. , Quednow and Christian P. , Müller (2017) Novel Psychoactive Substances 14Recent Progress on Neuropharmacological Mechanisms of Action for Selected Drugs. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 8 (152). pp. 1-21. ISSN 1664-0640

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Abstract

A feature of human culture is that we can learn to consume chemical compounds, derived from natural plants or synthetic fabrication, for their psychoactive effects. These drugs change the mental state and/or the behavioral performance of an individual and can be instrumentalized for various purposes. After the emergence of a novel psychoactive substance (NPS) and a period of experimental consumption, personal and medical benefits and harm potential of the NPS can be estimated on evidence base. This may lead to a legal classification of the NPS, which may range from limited medical use, controlled availability up to a complete ban of the drug form publically accepted use. With these measures, however, a drug does not disappear, but frequently continues to be used, which eventually allows an even better estimate of the drug 19s properties. Thus, only in rare cases, there is a final verdict that is no more questioned. Instead, the view on a drug can change from tolerable to harmful but may also involve the new establishment of a desired medical application to a previously harmful drug. Here, we provide a summary review on a number of NPS for which the neuropharmacological evaluation has made important progress in recent years. They include mitragynine ( 1CKratom 1D), synthetic cannabinoids (e.g., 1CSpice 1D), dimethyltryptamine and novel serotonergic hallucinogens, the cathinones mephedrone and methylone, ketamine and novel dissociative drugs, ;3-hydroxybutyrate, ;3-butyrolactone, and 1,4-butanediol. This review shows not only emerging harm potentials but also some potential medical applications.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) > H1-99 Social sciences (General) R Medicine > RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology > RM300-666 Drugs and their actions
Divisions:	Pusat Pengajian Sains Kemasyarakatan (School of Social Sciences) > Article
Depositing User:	Mr Noorazilan Noordin
Date Deposited:	13 Oct 2017 01:00
Last Modified:	13 Oct 2017 01:00
URI:	http://eprints.usm.my/id/eprint/37094

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