1
|
Pires B, Rosendo LM, Brinca AT, Simão AY, Barroso M, Rosado T, Gallardo E. The Therapeutic Potential of Amphetamine-like Psychostimulants. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2180. [PMID: 38004320 PMCID: PMC10671856 DOI: 10.3390/life13112180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
This review delves into the therapeutic applications of amphetamine-type stimulants such as lisdexamphetamine dimesylate, mixed amphetamine salts, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), dextroamphetamine, and phentermine. These compounds have been investigated for their potential in treating a range of psychiatric disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), drug dependence, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obesity. Lisdexamphetamine dimesylate has shown promise in effectively treating ADHD symptoms in both children and adults. Additionally, it has been explored as a potential treatment for drug dependency and withdrawal, demonstrating encouraging results. Mixed amphetamine salts have also exhibited efficacy in reducing ADHD symptoms in adults. Future research should explore their potential use in treating bipolar disorder and cocaine dependence, considering the associated risks and benefits. MDMA-assisted psychotherapy has emerged as an innovative approach to treating PTSD, leading to sustained reductions in symptoms and even promoting post-traumatic growth. Furthermore, it has shown promise in managing anxiety related to life-threatening illnesses. Dextroamphetamine and phentermine have demonstrated efficacy in treating cocaine and opioid dependence, ADHD, and obesity. However, careful consideration and monitoring by medical professionals are essential due to the potential risks and benefits associated with them. In conclusion, amphetamine-type stimulants present a promising avenue for therapeutic interventions in various psychiatric conditions. Nevertheless, further research is necessary to comprehensively understand their mechanisms of action, dosage requirements, and long-term effects in different patient populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Pires
- Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), 6201-506 Covilhã, Portugal; (B.P.); (L.M.R.); (A.T.B.); (A.Y.S.)
| | - Luana M. Rosendo
- Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), 6201-506 Covilhã, Portugal; (B.P.); (L.M.R.); (A.T.B.); (A.Y.S.)
| | - Ana Teresa Brinca
- Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), 6201-506 Covilhã, Portugal; (B.P.); (L.M.R.); (A.T.B.); (A.Y.S.)
| | - Ana Y. Simão
- Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), 6201-506 Covilhã, Portugal; (B.P.); (L.M.R.); (A.T.B.); (A.Y.S.)
- Laboratório de Fármaco-Toxicologia, UBIMedical, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6200-000 Covilhã, Portugal
| | - Mário Barroso
- Serviço de Química e Toxicologia Forenses, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal e Ciências Forenses, Delegação do Sul, 1150-219 Lisboa, Portugal;
| | - Tiago Rosado
- Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), 6201-506 Covilhã, Portugal; (B.P.); (L.M.R.); (A.T.B.); (A.Y.S.)
- Laboratório de Fármaco-Toxicologia, UBIMedical, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6200-000 Covilhã, Portugal
- Centro Académico Clínico das Beiras (CACB)—Missão de Problemas Relacionados com Toxicofilias, 6200-000 Covilhã, Portugal
| | - Eugenia Gallardo
- Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS-UBI), 6201-506 Covilhã, Portugal; (B.P.); (L.M.R.); (A.T.B.); (A.Y.S.)
- Laboratório de Fármaco-Toxicologia, UBIMedical, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6200-000 Covilhã, Portugal
- Centro Académico Clínico das Beiras (CACB)—Missão de Problemas Relacionados com Toxicofilias, 6200-000 Covilhã, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mavrenkova PV, Khlebnikova NN, Alchinova IB, Demorzhi MS, Shoibonov BB, Karganov MY. Effects of Maternal Separation and Subsequent Stress on Behaviors and Brain Monoamines in Rats. Brain Sci 2023; 13:956. [PMID: 37371434 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13060956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Childhood adversity can induce maladaptive behaviors and increase risk for affective disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, personality disorders, and vulnerability to stress in adulthood. Deprivation of maternal care interrupts brain development through the disturbance of various neurotransmitters, however, the details remain unclear. The features of the symptoms of disorders are largely determined by early stress protocol, genetic characteristics (line), and the sex of the animals. The purpose of current study was (1) to assess behavioral changes in adult Wistar rats of both sexes after early life stress; (2) to determine the levels of monoamines in brain structures involved in the motor, emotional, and social reactions in rats aged 1 and 2 months; and (3) to determine the level of monoamines after physical or emotional stress in adult rats. The rat pups were separated from their dams and isolated from siblings in tight boxes at a temperature of 22-23 °C for 6 h during postnatal days 2-18. The data were processed predominantly using two-way analysis of variance and the Newman-Keys test as the post hoc analysis. The adult rats demonstrated an increase in motor activity and aggressiveness and a decrease in levels of anxiety and sociability. Behavioral disturbances were accompanied by region-, sex-, and age-dependent changes in the levels of monoamines and their metabolites. The dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems were found to be sensitive to psycho-emotional stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Polina V Mavrenkova
- Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, 8 Baltiyskaya St., 125315 Moscow, Russia
| | - Nadezhda N Khlebnikova
- Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, 8 Baltiyskaya St., 125315 Moscow, Russia
| | - Irina B Alchinova
- Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, 8 Baltiyskaya St., 125315 Moscow, Russia
| | - Marina S Demorzhi
- Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, 8 Baltiyskaya St., 125315 Moscow, Russia
| | - Batozhab B Shoibonov
- P. K. Anokhin Institute of Normal Physiology, 8 Baltiyskaya St., 125315 Moscow, Russia
| | - Mikhail Yu Karganov
- Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, 8 Baltiyskaya St., 125315 Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
On making (and turning adaptive to) maladaptive aversive memories in laboratory rodents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105101. [PMID: 36804263 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Fear conditioning and avoidance tasks usually elicit adaptive aversive memories. Traumatic memories are more intense, generalized, inflexible, and resistant to attenuation via extinction- and reconsolidation-based strategies. Inducing and assessing these dysfunctional, maladaptive features in the laboratory are crucial to interrogating posttraumatic stress disorder's neurobiology and exploring innovative treatments. Here we analyze over 350 studies addressing this question in adult rats and mice. There is a growing interest in modeling several qualitative and quantitative memory changes by exposing already stressed animals to freezing- and avoidance-related tests or using a relatively high aversive training magnitude. Other options combine aversive/fearful tasks with post-acquisition or post-retrieval administration of one or more drugs provoking neurochemical or epigenetic alterations reported in the trauma aftermath. It is potentially instructive to integrate these procedures and incorporate the measurement of autonomic and endocrine parameters. Factors to consider when defining the organismic and procedural variables, partially neglected aspects (sex-dependent differences and recent vs. remote data comparison) and suggestions for future research (identifying reliable individual risk and treatment-response predictors) are discussed.
Collapse
|
4
|
van der Heijden AC, Hofman WF, de Boer M, Nijdam MJ, van Marle HJF, Jongedijk RA, Olff M, Talamini LM. Sleep spindle dynamics suggest over-consolidation in post-traumatic stress disorder. Sleep 2022; 45:6613204. [PMID: 35731633 PMCID: PMC9453619 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsac139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Devastating and persisting traumatic memories are a central symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sleep problems are highly co-occurrent with PTSD and intertwined with its etiology. Notably, sleep hosts memory consolidation processes, supported by sleep spindles (11–16 Hz). Here we assess the hypothesis that intrusive memory symptoms in PTSD may arise from excessive memory consolidation, reflected in exaggerated spindling. We use a newly developed spindle detection method, entailing minimal assumptions regarding spindle phenotype, to assess spindle activity in PTSD patients and traumatized controls. Our results show increased spindle activity in PTSD, which positively correlates with daytime intrusive memory symptoms. Together, these findings provide a putative mechanism through which the profound sleep disturbance in PTSD may contribute to memory problems. Due to its uniform and unbiased approach, the new, minimal assumption spindle analysis seems a promising tool to detect aberrant spindling in psychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna C van der Heijden
- Department of Psychology, Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam , The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam , Amsterdam , The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Mood Anxiety Psychosis Stress Sleep , Amsterdam , The Netherlands
- GGZ inGeest Specialized Mental Health Care , Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Winni F Hofman
- Department of Psychology, Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Marieke de Boer
- Department of Psychology, Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Mirjam J Nijdam
- ARQ Centrum‘45 , Oegstgeest , The Netherlands
- ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre , Diemen , The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC location AMC , Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Hein J F van Marle
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam , Amsterdam , The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Mood Anxiety Psychosis Stress Sleep , Amsterdam , The Netherlands
- GGZ inGeest Specialized Mental Health Care , Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| | - Ruud A Jongedijk
- ARQ Centrum‘45 , Oegstgeest , The Netherlands
- ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre , Diemen , The Netherlands
| | - Miranda Olff
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Mood Anxiety Psychosis Stress Sleep , Amsterdam , The Netherlands
- ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre , Diemen , The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC location AMC , Amsterdam , The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Mental Health , Amsterdam , The Netherlands and
| | - Lucia M Talamini
- Department of Psychology, Brain & Cognition, University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam , The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam , The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ross JA, Van Bockstaele EJ. The Locus Coeruleus- Norepinephrine System in Stress and Arousal: Unraveling Historical, Current, and Future Perspectives. Front Psychiatry 2021; 11:601519. [PMID: 33584368 PMCID: PMC7873441 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.601519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Arousal may be understood on a spectrum, with excessive sleepiness, cognitive dysfunction, and inattention on one side, a wakeful state in the middle, and hypervigilance, panic, and psychosis on the other side. However, historically, the concepts of arousal and stress have been challenging to define as measurable experimental variables. Divergent efforts to study these subjects have given rise to several disciplines, including neurobiology, neuroendocrinology, and cognitive neuroscience. We discuss technological advancements that chronologically led to our current understanding of the arousal system, focusing on the multifaceted nucleus locus coeruleus. We share our contemporary perspective and the hypotheses of others in the context of our current technological capabilities and future developments that will be required to move forward in this area of research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A. Ross
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Pawluski JL, Kokras N, Charlier TD, Dalla C. Sex matters in neuroscience and neuropsychopharmacology. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:2423-2428. [PMID: 32578303 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Prevalence and symptoms of most psychiatric and neurological disorders differ in men and women and there is substantial evidence that their neurobiological basis and treatment also differ by sex. This special issue sought to bring together a series of empirical papers and targeted reviews to highlight the diverse impact of sex in neuroscience and neuropsychopharmacology. This special issue emphasizes the diverse impact of sex in neuroscience and neuropsychopharmacology, including 9 review papers and 17 research articles highlighting investigation in different species (zebrafish, mice, rats, and humans). Each contribution covers scientific topics that overlap with genetics, endocrinology, cognition, behavioral neuroscience, neurology, and pharmacology. Investigating the extent to which sex differences can impact the brain and behavior is key to moving forward in neuroscience research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jodi L Pawluski
- Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Nikolaos Kokras
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.,First Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Thierry D Charlier
- Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de Recherche en Santé, Environnement et Travail), Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Christina Dalla
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|