Central nervous system stimulants: basic pharmacology and relevance to anaesthesia and critical care

Central nervous system stimulants provoke cortical, brainstem and spinal cord excitation. They have a wide range of clinical uses and a strong potential for abuse. Central nervous system stimulants can be divided into three categories: psychomotor stimulants; psychotomimetic stimulants. Psychomotor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAnaesthesia and intensive care medicine Vol. 24; no. 9; pp. 521 - 530
Main Authors Couch, George A., White, Matthew P., de Gray, Lorraine E.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2023
Subjects
Amphetamine
analeptic
convulsant
methylxanthine
psychomotor
psychotomimetic
stimulant
sympathomimetic
analeptic
psychotomimetic
Amphetamine
stimulant
methylxanthine
convulsant
psychomotor
sympathomimetic
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Summary:Central nervous system stimulants provoke cortical, brainstem and spinal cord excitation. They have a wide range of clinical uses and a strong potential for abuse. Central nervous system stimulants can be divided into three categories: psychomotor stimulants; psychotomimetic stimulants. Psychomotor stimulants produce excitement and euphoria, increase motor activity and reduce fatigue. Psychotomimetic stimulants alter mental function and affect perception and cognition. Respiratory stimulants and convulsants increase activity in the spinal cord and brainstem, leading to hyperreflexia, activation of the respiratory and vasomotor centres and promotion of seizure activity.
ISSN:1472-0299
1878-7584
DOI:10.1016/j.mpaic.2023.05.024