Amphetamine, as well as other catecholamines, is taken into presynaptic nerve terminals by the association with two sodium ions and one chloride ion. It is important to consider that amphetamine has a very similar structure to the catecholamine neurotransmitters mainly on the presence of a long planar conformation, the presence of an aromatic ring and nitrogen in the aryl side chain. 13 This observation was supported by the continuous reports of misuse in patients under depression. Studies regarding the illicit use of amphetamine in which heavy consumers were studied proved the generation of a paranoid state which flagged this drug as a psychiatric danger compound. However, the indirect effect on serotonin might have an effect on the depression and anxiety profile of ADHD. 3 The therapeutic effect of amphetamine on serotonin does not seem to have a significant clinical effect on ADHD as observed on comparative studies with amphetamine and fenfluramine, a powerful serotonin releasing factor. 1 The effect was shown to be produced through both racemic forms and to this date, the use of racemic forms 3:1 (D:L) is very common. In ADHD, amphetamine has been largely showed to produce remarkable improvements in school performance, behavior, and demeanor. There are old reports of a cognitive enhancement related to the administration of amphetamine in which improvements in intelligence test scores were reported. The indistinct release of neurotransmitters which include adrenaline is known to produce cardiovascular side effects. 1 Type Small Molecule Groups Approved, Illicit, Investigational Structureįrom its mechanism of action, it has been demonstrated that amphetamine augments the concentration of noradrenaline in the prefrontal cortex and dopamine in the striatum on a dose and time-dependent manner. This use derived into a large overproduction of amphetamine and all the surplus after the war finalized ended up in the black market, producing the initiation of the illicit abuse. 12ĭuring World War II, amphetamine was used to promote wakefulness in the soldiers. 1 The first product of Smith, Kline and French was approved by the FDA on 1976.

Amphetamine structure presents one chiral center and it exists in the form of dextro- and levo-isomers. After being proven to reduce drug-induced anesthesia and produce arousal and insomnia, amphetamine racemic mix was registered by Smith, Kline and French in 1935. Amphetamine, with the chemical formula alpha-methylphenethylamine, was discovered in 1910 and first synthesized by 1927. It was previously used for a large variety of conditions and this changed until this point where its use is highly restricted. Adderall, Adzenys, Dyanavel, Evekeo, Mydayis Generic Name Amphetamine DrugBank Accession Number DB00182 BackgroundĪmphetamine, a compound discovered over 100 years ago, is one of the more restricted controlled drugs.

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