Influence of Prenatal Methamphetamine Abuse on the Brain
Methamphetamine (MA), a psychostimulant, has become a serious problem in recent years. It is one of the most widely abused psychostimulants in the world. In the Czech Republic, ecstasy is the most commonly used non-cannabis drug, followed by hallucinogenic fungi, LSD, MA, cocaine, and finally heroin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-07-01
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| Series: | Epigenomes |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4655/4/3/14 |
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| author | Anežka Tomášková Romana Šlamberová Marie Černá |
| author_facet | Anežka Tomášková Romana Šlamberová Marie Černá |
| author_sort | Anežka Tomášková |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Methamphetamine (MA), a psychostimulant, has become a serious problem in recent years. It is one of the most widely abused psychostimulants in the world. In the Czech Republic, ecstasy is the most commonly used non-cannabis drug, followed by hallucinogenic fungi, LSD, MA, cocaine, and finally heroin. The prevalence of the usage of all addictive substances is highest in the age category of 15–34. Approximately 17.2% of registered drug addicts, both male and female, in the Czech Republic use MA as their first-choice drug. This group consists mostly of women who are unemployed and addicted to MA (85%). Almost half of the addicted women switched to MA from other drugs in the course of pregnancy. Psychostimulants such as amphetamine and its synthetic derivate MA induce feelings of calm and happiness by suppressing anxiety and depression. When MA is abused for longer periods, it mimics symptoms of mania and can lead to the development of psychosis. MA is often abused for its anorectic effect, its simple preparation, and compared to heroin and cocaine, its low price. There are significant differences in the susceptibility of users to the stimulant, with reactions to MA fluctuating from person to person. Molecular mechanisms related to the variable response among users might represent an explanation for increased addiction-associated bipolar disorder and psychosis. Currently, there is limited information regarding genetic mechanisms linked to these disorders and the transmission of drug addiction. As such, animal models of drug addiction represent significant sources of information and assets in the research of these issues. The aim of this review is to summarize the mechanism of action of methamphetamine and its effect on pregnant addicted women and their children, including a detailed description of the anatomical structures involved. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:30:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d0bd0e752b6648c58bf73d097c975a25 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4655 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:30:01Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Epigenomes |
| spelling | doaj.art-d0bd0e752b6648c58bf73d097c975a252023-11-20T06:43:55ZengMDPI AGEpigenomes2075-46552020-07-01431410.3390/epigenomes4030014Influence of Prenatal Methamphetamine Abuse on the BrainAnežka Tomášková0Romana Šlamberová1Marie Černá2Department of Medical Genetics, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 100 00 Prague, Czech RepublicDepartment of Physiology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 100 00 Prague, Czech RepublicDepartment of Medical Genetics, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 100 00 Prague, Czech RepublicMethamphetamine (MA), a psychostimulant, has become a serious problem in recent years. It is one of the most widely abused psychostimulants in the world. In the Czech Republic, ecstasy is the most commonly used non-cannabis drug, followed by hallucinogenic fungi, LSD, MA, cocaine, and finally heroin. The prevalence of the usage of all addictive substances is highest in the age category of 15–34. Approximately 17.2% of registered drug addicts, both male and female, in the Czech Republic use MA as their first-choice drug. This group consists mostly of women who are unemployed and addicted to MA (85%). Almost half of the addicted women switched to MA from other drugs in the course of pregnancy. Psychostimulants such as amphetamine and its synthetic derivate MA induce feelings of calm and happiness by suppressing anxiety and depression. When MA is abused for longer periods, it mimics symptoms of mania and can lead to the development of psychosis. MA is often abused for its anorectic effect, its simple preparation, and compared to heroin and cocaine, its low price. There are significant differences in the susceptibility of users to the stimulant, with reactions to MA fluctuating from person to person. Molecular mechanisms related to the variable response among users might represent an explanation for increased addiction-associated bipolar disorder and psychosis. Currently, there is limited information regarding genetic mechanisms linked to these disorders and the transmission of drug addiction. As such, animal models of drug addiction represent significant sources of information and assets in the research of these issues. The aim of this review is to summarize the mechanism of action of methamphetamine and its effect on pregnant addicted women and their children, including a detailed description of the anatomical structures involved.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4655/4/3/14methamphetamineprenataldrug addictionstriatumprefrontal cortexhippocampus |
| spellingShingle | Anežka Tomášková Romana Šlamberová Marie Černá Influence of Prenatal Methamphetamine Abuse on the Brain Epigenomes methamphetamine prenatal drug addiction striatum prefrontal cortex hippocampus |
| title | Influence of Prenatal Methamphetamine Abuse on the Brain |
| title_full | Influence of Prenatal Methamphetamine Abuse on the Brain |
| title_fullStr | Influence of Prenatal Methamphetamine Abuse on the Brain |
| title_full_unstemmed | Influence of Prenatal Methamphetamine Abuse on the Brain |
| title_short | Influence of Prenatal Methamphetamine Abuse on the Brain |
| title_sort | influence of prenatal methamphetamine abuse on the brain |
| topic | methamphetamine prenatal drug addiction striatum prefrontal cortex hippocampus |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4655/4/3/14 |
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