A review of the effects of repeated administration of selected phenylethylamines.

Several phenylethylamines are under consideration for international control. The effects of repeated administration of these compounds, including tolerance, physical dependence and central nervous system (CNS) toxicity, are reviewed here. The compounds can be divided into two major chemical groups: those with substituents on the ethylamine portion of the molecule and those with substituents on the phenyl ring. Although the effects of repeated administration have not been directly determined for most of the compounds, certain representative compounds of each chemical group have been examined in some detail. Prominent among the effects of repeated administration are CNS toxicity and tolerance development. Physical dependence has not been reported for any of these compounds. Future research with these compounds should emphasize the investigation of the CNS toxicity and the functional consequences of such effects for the organism.