Neurotoxicity of Methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine
Life Science July 24, 2013 Laura E. Halpin, S. Collins, B. Yamamoto 195 citations
Amphetamines, including methamphetamine and MDMA, are psychostimulants abused for their stimulant, euphoric, empathogenic, and hallucinogenic effects. These effects arise from acute increases in dopamine and serotonin neurotransmission. Beyond these acute effects, the drugs cause persistent damage to dopamine and serotonin nerve terminals through mechanisms such as excitotoxicity, mitochondrial damage, and oxidative stress. The review also covers emerging non-neuronal mechanisms that may contribute to this damage and the neuropsychiatric consequences of terminal damage. It compares methamphetamine and MDMA to other abused substances like cathinone (khat) and novel synthetic amphetamines known as 'bath salts'.