Synonyms
D-amphetamine; Dexedrine; Dextro-amphetamine
Definition
D-amphetamine or dextro-amphetamine is one of the two synthetic chemical forms of amphetamine. This form of amphetamine is considered more active than l-amphetamine or levo-amphetamine. D-amphetamine is a potent central nervous system stimulant that increases the synaptic concentration of monoamine neurotransmitters and indirectly enhances noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission in the central nervous system (Heal et al. 2013). Acute administration is associated with increased alertness, confidence, euphoria, and cognition. In animals, there is a dose-dependent effect of increasing activity such as locomotion and at higher doses, stereotyped motor behaviors. Amphetamine’s reinforcing properties and potential for abuse are thought to reflect increased dopamine neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens. The drug also increases both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and increases respiration and heart rate,...
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References and Readings
Feldman, R. S., Meyer, J. S., & Quenzer, L. F. (1997). Stimulants: Amphetamine and cocaine. In Principles of neuropsychoparhmacology (pp. 549–568). Sunderland: Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Heal, D. J., Smith, S. L., Gosden, J., & Nutt, D. J. (2013). Amphetamine, past and present – A pharmacological and clinical perspective. Journal of Psychopharmacology (Oxford, England), 27(6), 479–496. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881113482532.
Iversen, L. L., Iversen, S. D., Bloom, F. E., & Roth, R. H. (2009). Psychostimulants. In Introduction to neuropsychopharmacology (pp. 447–472). New York: Oxford University Press.
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Tschanz, J., Vernon, E.K. (2018). D-Amphetamine. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_1645
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57111-9_1645
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