Screening Models for CNS Stimulant Drugs:A Review

Central nervous system (CNS) stimulants are medicines that speed up physical and mental processes. Central nervous system stimulants are used to treat conditions characterized by lack of adrenergic stimulation, including narcolepsy and neonatal apnea. Additionally, methylphenidate (Ritalin) and dextroamphetamine sulfate (Dexedrine) are used for their paradoxical effect in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The majority of CNS stimulants is chemically similar to the neurohormone norepinephrine and simulates the traditional "fight or flight" syndrome associated with sympathetic nervous system arousal. Caffeine is more closely related to the xanthines, such as theophylline. A small number of additional members of the CNS stimulant class do not fall into specific chemical groups. The review on central nervous system stimulants gives detail study of CNS stimulant drugs, their mechanism of action and in vivo models of CNS stimulants.