Cerebral Vascular Changes Secondary to Amphetamine Abuse in the Experimental Animal

Abstract

Five adult Rhesus monkeys were given intravenous methamphetamine during a two-week period and then sacrificed. Immediately following injection, 3 animals showed decreased caliber of some of the small cerebral arteries with slow flow or absence of flow in some vessels. In 2 animals severe generalized arterial spasm developed during the two-week period. All 5 animals at necropsy demonstrated extensive brain damage. There were focal areas of ischemia and infarction and generalized areas of cerebral edema and ischemic nerve cell changes. The drug dose was in the range followed by some addicts.