title: 5,6-Methylenedioxy-2-aminoindane: from laboratory curiosity to 'legal high'.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The fully synthetic 'legal high' 5,6-methylenedioxy-2-aminoindane (MDAI) is an analogue of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Although developed in the 1990s, it was not widely abused until 2010. However, mephedrone was banned in the UK in April 2010, and almost immediately, MDAI was widely advertised as a legal alternative. This paper provides both an overview of the current state of knowledge of MDAI and a critical analysis of online available information relating to its psychoactive effects, adverse reactions and use in combination with other drugs.
  
  
  METHODS
  The literature on MDAI was searched in three databases: PsycInfo, PubMed and MedScape. Once the availability of information on MDAI was identified within these websites, further specific searches were carried out for narratives focusing on the nature of its effects on users, motivations behind its recreational use and possible trends of misuse, and any other relevant information.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Internet-sourced products have been shown variously to contain mephedrone, and mixed compositions of inorganic substances, while containing no MDAI. Numbers of Internet searches have been considerably higher in the UK compared with Germany and the US.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Better international collaboration levels may be needed to tackle the novel and fast growing phenomenon of novel psychoactive drug availability from the web.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK. c.t.gallagher@herts.ac.uk
authors.forename: Cathal T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.forename: Sulaf
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Assi
authors.forename: Jacqueline L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Stair
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fergus
authors.forename: Ornella
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Corazza
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Corkery
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schifano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015198:Designer Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020407:Internet; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D015198:Designer Drugs; D006213:Hallucinogens; D007189:Indans; C066678:5,6-methylenedioxy-2-aminoindane; D008694:Methamphetamine; C548233:mephedrone