Mephedrone ("Meow", 4-Methylmethcathinone): examining the effects of a novel "party drug" on brain and behaviour

麻黄酮（“喵”）是一种新型的娱乐性药物，近年来迅速流行。使用者报告说，甲氧麻黄酮具有可卡因的兴奋剂性质，加上MDMA的亲社会作用。轶事和案例研究报告表明，4-甲基甲卡西酮可能会造成强迫性使用模式以及过量使用的毒性。目前的项目将使用动物模型来评估甲氧麻黄酮如何影响大脑和行为，并评估其成瘾潜力。

Mephedrone ("Meow") is a novel recreational drug that has rapidly increased in popularity in recent years. Users report that mephedrone has the stimulant-like qualities of cocaine, combined with the prosocial effects of MDMA. Anecdotal and case study reports indicate that mephedrone may have the potential to engender compulsive patterns of use as well as toxicity in overdose. The current project will use animal models to assess how mephedrone affects the brain and behaviour and to assess its addictive potential.