Deliriant
| Deliriant | |
|---|---|
| Drug class | |
Chemical structure of scopolamine, one of the most well-known deliriants. | |
| Class identifiers | |
| Synonyms | Antimuscarinic; Anticholinergic; Muscarinic antagonist; Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist |
| Use | Recreational, medical |
| Mechanism of action | Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonism |
| Biological target | Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors |
| Chemical class | Various |
| Legal status | |
| Legal status |
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| In Wikidata | |
Deliriants are a subclass of hallucinogen. The term was coined in the early 1980s to distinguish these drugs from psychedelics such as LSD and dissociatives such as ketamine, due to their primary effect of causing delirium, as opposed to the more lucid and less disturbed states produced by other types of hallucinogens, where rational thought is better preserved (including the ability to distinguish hallucinations from reality). [1] The term generally refers to anticholinergic drugs, which are substances that inhibit the function of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.[1]
Common examples of deliriants include plants of the genera Datura and Brugmansia, both containing scopolamine, as well as higher than recommended dosages of diphenhydramine (Benadryl).[2][3] A number of plant deliriants such as that of the Solanaceae family, particularly in the Americas, have been used by some indigenous cultures to reach delirious and altered states of consciousness for traditions or rituals, such as rites of passage, divination or communicating with the ancestors.[4] Despite their long history of use, deliriants are the least-studied class of hallucinogens in terms of their behavioral and neurological effects.[5]
- ^ a b Duncan, D. F., and Gold, R. S. (1982). Drugs and the Whole Person. New York: John Wiley & Sons
- ^ "Datura reports on Erowid". Retrieved 2013-05-07.
- ^ Forest E (27 July 2008). "Atypical Drugs of Abuse". Articles & Interviews. Student Doctor Network. Archived from the original on 27 May 2013.
- ^ Kennedy, David O. (2014). "The Deliriants - The Nightshade (Solanaceae) Family". Plants and the Human Brain. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 131–137. ISBN 978-0-19-991401-2. LCCN 2013031617. Archived from the original on 2021-09-17. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
- ^ Volgin, A. D.; Yakovlev, O. A.; Demin, K. A.; Alekseeva, P. A.; Kyzar, E. J.; Collins, C.; Nichols, D. E.; Kalueff, A. V. (16 October 2018). "Understanding Central Nervous System Effects of Deliriant Hallucinogenic Drugs through Experimental Animal Models". ACS Chemical Neuroscience. 10 (1): 143–154. doi:10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00433. PMID 30252437. S2CID 52824516.