CNS stimulants: As compared to CNS depressants the stimulants of the centeral nervous system are therapeutically not so useful as they lack selectivity of action. Further, excessive stimulation of CNS is followed by its depression.
convulsants and respiratory stimulants eg. Srychnine picrotoxin, nikethaimide
psychotomimetic drug Eg. Lysergic and diethylamide (LSD) psilocybin, phencyclidine. Convlsants and respiratory stimulants: these are diverse group or drugs and have little clinical use. Certain short acting respiratory stimulants like doxapram, amiphenazole can be used in respiratory failure. Strychnine, picrotoxin and leptazole are used as chemical tools in experimental pharmacology in various animal models. Psychomotor stimulants: Drugs like amphetamine cause increased motor activity, euphoria, excitement and anorexia due to release of noradrerline and dopamine. Clinical uses: Amphaetamine is useful in the treatment of narcolepsy and attention deficit in children. Cocaine is occasionally used as a local aneasthetic, mainly in ophthalmology and minor nose and throat surgery. Khat is another drug that belongs to this group and it is a major drug of abuse in Ethiopia. As drugs of abuse amphetamine khat and cocaine produce strong psychological dependence and carry a high risk of adverse reactions. Psycho mimetic drugs: Drugs like LSD, phencyclidine and psilocybin cause sensory changes, hallucinations and delusions, resembling symptoms of acute schizophrenia. They are not used clinically but are important as drugs of abuse. Drug dependence and drug abuse There are many drugs that human beings consume because they choose to, and not because they are advised to by physicians. Society in general disapproves, because in most cases there is a social cost; for certain drugs, this is judged to out-weigh the individual benefit and their use is banned in many countries.
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