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Stimulants (also known as central nervous system stimulants, or psychostimulants, or colloquially as uppers) are a class of drugs that increase the activity of the brain. They are used for various purposes, such as enhancing alertness , attention , motivation , cognition , mood , and physical performance .
Dopamine receptors are a class of G protein-coupled receptors that are prominent in the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS) and are implicated in many neurological processes, including motivational and incentive salience, cognition, memory, learning, and fine motor control, as well as modulation of neuroendocrine signaling.
In the brain of Alzheimer's patients, both neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine (nACh) receptors and NMDA receptors are known to be down-regulated. Thus, four anticholinesterases, such as Donepezil and Rivastigmine , have been developed and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment in the U.S.A.
The review authors noted that research into the potential brain benefits of GLP-1 medications needs more research but are optimistic about the future of these drugs in how they may boost brain health.
The mechanisms of sympathomimetic drugs can be direct-acting (direct interaction between drug and receptor), such as α-adrenergic agonists, β-adrenergic agonists, and dopaminergic agonists; or indirect-acting (interaction not between drug and receptor), such as MAOIs, COMT inhibitors, release stimulants, and reuptake inhibitors that increase the levels of endogenous catecholamines.
A psychoactive drug, mind-altering drug, or consciousness-altering drug is a chemical substance that changes brain function and results in alterations in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, or behavior. [1] The term psychotropic drug is often used interchangeably, while some sources present narrower definitions.
For example, drugs used to treat patients with schizophrenia such as haloperidol, chlorpromazine, and clozapine are antagonists at receptors in the brain for dopamine. Other drugs act by binding to a receptor and mimicking the normal neurotransmitter. Such drugs are called receptor agonists. An example of a receptor agonist is morphine, an ...
A motivation-enhancing drug, [2] [3] also known as a pro-motivational drug, [1] is a drug which increases motivation. [ 4 ] [ 1 ] Drugs enhancing motivation can be used in the treatment of motivational deficits , for instance in depression , schizophrenia , and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).