ABSTRACT
Understanding the mechanism of action of methamphetamine requires some understanding of neurophysiology. Because the discussion here is brief, readers who wish to further their knowledge of neurophysiology are referred to Pinel (1997). In short, the active unit of the nervous system is the neuron (Schwann, 1839; Cajal, 1917). A neuron is an elongated cell (up to 2 m) that sends messages to other cells through the process of electrochemical signaling (Sherrington, 1987; Bernstein, 1902; Adrian, 1913; Loewi, 1921; Dale, 1914). That is, an electrical impulse, called an action potential, travels the length of the cell to initiate the release of a chemical messenger, called a neurotransmitter. The neurotransmitter substance diffuses across a gap between the cells, called a synapse, where it is chemically bound to a protein called a receptor. The binding of the neurotransmitter to the receptor is equivalent to the receipt of the message.
