Psychoanaleptics

Psychoanaleptics (also psychostimulants) are substances that increase CNS activity. The first group are sympathomimetics - sympathomimetic amines (cocaine, amphetamine and its derivatives), also caffeine (methylxanthines), nicotine, and others (methylphenidate, modafinil). The second group are analeptics (strychnine, picrotoxin).

Simply put, their pharmacodynamics consist in increasing the activity of excitatory neurotransmitters and their receptors, and the predominance of this component over the inhibitory ones.

In some cases, nootropics (piracetam, phenylpiracetam) can also have partial stimulating effects, although in this case they are not sui generis stimulants.

Used literature
RABOCH, Jiří a Petr ZVOLSKÝ, c2001. Psychiatrie. Praha: Galén. ISBN 80-726-2140-8.