30 June 2008, at 21:44
Amphetamine, and related drugs such as methamphetamine are a group
of drugs that act by increasing levels of norepinephrine,
serotonin, and dopamine in the brain. It includes prescription CNS
drugs commonly used to treat attention-deficit disorder (ADD) and
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and
children. It is also used to treat symptoms of traumatic brain
injury and the daytime drowsiness symptoms of narcolepsy and
chronic fatigue syndrome. Initially it was more popularly used to
diminish the appetite and to control weight. Brand names of the
drugs that contain amphetamine include Adderall and
Dexedrine. The drug is also used illegally as a recreational
club drug and as a performance enhancer. The name
amphetamine is derived from its chemical name:
alpha-methylphenethylamine. Some
biochemistry textbooks also claim that the name 'amphetamine' is
derived from an abbreviation for "amphoteric amine," as it was one
of the first amine compounds found to exhibit stereoisometry (levo
and dextro-rotary forms.) The name is also used to refer to the
class of compounds derived from amphetamine, often referred to as
the substituted amphetamines.