Drug abuse: Amphetamines

Amphetamine and amphetamine analogues, such as methamphetamine and 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), have been used for many reasons. Amphetamine has well-known stimulant properties and was once commonly prescribed for treatment of depression and obesity (Anglin et al., 2000). Amphetamine-like drugs and psychostimulants such as methylphenidate and modainil are currently sometimes prescribed for treatment of attention-deicit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy, and may be “self-prescribed” as cognitive enhancers (Fredriksen et al., 2013; Hirai and Nishino, 2011; Steiner and Van Waes, 2013). However, amphetamines have profound abuse potential and a high risk for neurotoxicity with chronic use and dependency. More signiicant problems with addiction tomethamphetamine are currently seen and the clinical pharmacology has been nicely reviewed (Cruickshank and Dyer, 2009). However, a recent paper compared the efects of intranasal d-amphetamine and methamphetamine on mood, performance, and physiological efects in humans and concluded that the drugs have similar dose-related proiles of efects and may therefore have equivalent abuse potential (Kirkpatrick et al., 2012a).