The Risk of Amphetamine-Related Stimulants to Users and the General Population in Nigeria

Abstract

In different communities across the globe, we see more of divergence from normal and/or expected behaviour; some psychotic in nature while others are neurodegenerative diseases of unknown origin. However, the use or exposure to some psycho stimulants at any stage of an individual’s development may not be unconnected with these developments. The aim of this review is to enlighten policy makers across the globe to safe guard the rest of the populace from the psycho-social effects of the proliferation in the unlawful production and use of Amphetamine (AMPH) and its derivatives in our society. A number of amphetamine derivatives, such as AMPH and methylamphetamine (METH), are considered dopaminergic neurotoxicants; they usually resulted in long-term depletions of striatal dopamine that is accompanied by neuroinflammation and by changes indicative of neuronal terminals degeneration.

Prenatal and postnatal methamphetamine exposure alters prefrontal cortical gene expression and behavior in mice

“…The rewarding effects of the drug are particularly evident through the excessive release of dopamine in crucial brain regions like the nucleus accumbens. Furthermore, documented neurotoxic effects of methamphetamine involve damage to dopamine and serotonin terminals, with oxidative stress, inflammation, and excitotoxicity playing key roles in this process ( Cadet et al, 2001 ; Sulzer et al, 2005 ; Adeniyi et al, 2016b ).…”