A psychostimulant is a substance that enhances locomotor behavior. Examples of psychostimulants include amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, methylphenidate, and arecoline, the most widely used psychostimulant. Amphetamine, and related drugs such as Methamphetamine are a group of drugs that act by increasing levels of Norepinephrine, Serotonin, and Dopamine Cocaine ( benzoylmethyl ecgonine) is a Crystalline Tropane Alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the Coca plant Arecoline is an Alkaloid -type natural product found in the Areca nut, the fruit of the areca palm ( Areca catechu)

Nicotine and caffeine are not considered psychostimulants because they do not enhance locomotor behavior in rodents. Nicotine is an Alkaloid found in the Nightshade family of plants ( Solanaceae) which constitutes approximately 0 Caffeine is a bitter white crystalline Xanthine Alkaloid that acts as a Psychoactive Stimulant Drug and a mild Diuretic ^[1]

Psychostimulants are often potent modulators of dopamine signaling, often affecting the activity of monoamine transporters such as the dopamine transporter and vesicular monoamine transporters. Dopamine is a Hormone and Neurotransmitter occurring in a wide variety of animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates Monoamine transporters are structures in nerve-cell membranes that function as Neurotransmitter transporters transferring Monoamine neurotransmitters The Dopamine transporter (also dopamine active transporter DAT SLC6A3 is a membrane-spanning protein that binds the Neurotransmitter Dopamine The vesicular monoamine transporter is a Transport protein located within the presynaptic cell. ^[2]

References

1. ^ Sulzer D, Sonders MS, Poulsen NW, Galli A (2005). "Mechanisms of neurotransmitter release by amphetamines: a review". Prog. Neurobiol. 75 (6): 406–33. doi:10.1016/j.pneurobio.2005.04.003. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document. PMID 15955613.  
2. ^ Riddle EL, Fleckenstein AE, Hanson GR (2005). "Role of monoamine transporters in mediating psychostimulant effects". The AAPS journal 7 (4): E847–51. doi:10.1208/aapsj070481. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document. PMID 16594636.  

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