Investigation of the effects of 'piperazine-containing party pills' and dexamphetamine on interhemispheric communication using electroencephalography.
'Piperazine-containing party pills' were marketed and sold as legal alternatives to methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) until 2008 in New Zealand. The major constituents of these 'pills' were benzylphenylpiperazine (BZP) and trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine (TFMPP). Despite their popularity, there is a paucity of knowledge about their central effects in humans. This study investigated their effects on human neural processing using electroencephalographic techniques.



A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigated the effects of an acute dose of these compounds on the interhemispheric transfer of information (IHTT) using the Poffenberger task. Reaction time data were also collected. Healthy, right-handed males were given an oral dose of either BZP (n = 13) (200 mg), TFMPP (n = 15) (60 mg), a combination of BZP + TFMPP (n = 15) (100 mg/30 mg), dexamphetamine (n = 16) (20 mg), or placebo (n = 23) and tested both before and 120 min after drug administration.



A mixed factorial repeated measures analysis of variance of absolute N160 latency and contrast analysis revealed that only TFMPP (F (1,77) = 17.30, p ≤ 0.001) significantly reduced the absolute N160 latency. Analysis of the IHTT revealed that only TFMPP (F (1,77) = 5.266, p ≤ 0.02) significantly reduced the IHTT, while BZP, BZP + TFMPP and dexamphetamine had no effect. Contrast analysis revealed that both TFMPP (F (1,77) = 17.30, p ≤ 0.001) and placebo (F (1,77) = 15.08, p ≤ 0.001) preserved the laterality of information transfer from one hemisphere to the other. Reaction time (p > 0.05) was not significantly affected by any of the drug treatments.



The usual directional asymmetry (i.e. faster R-to-L transfer relative to L-to-R) observed in healthy control group was absent following the administration of either BZP, BZP + TFMPP or dexamphetamine. Surprisingly, lateralised hemispheric function was not affected by TFMPP. Our findings highlight how the administration of BZP, TFMPP and BZP + TFMPP leads to changes in the pattern of information transfer.
School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
HeeSeung
H
Lee
Department of Psychology, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
Grace Y
GY
Wang
School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.|Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Louise E
LE
Curley
Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Rob R
RR
Kydd
Cognitive Neuroscience Research Group, School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.|Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Ian J
IJ
Kirk
National School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand. bruce.russell@otago.ac.nz.|School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. bruce.russell@otago.ac.nz.|Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. bruce.russell@otago.ac.nz.
Bruce R
BR
Russell
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000187:drug effects*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055815:Young Adult
D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; C461488:N-benzylpiperazine; D010879:Piperazines; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; C018406:1-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)piperazine; D003913:Dextroamphetamine
Benzylpiperazine; Central nervous system stimulants; Electroencephalography; Event-related potentials; Humans; Interhemispheric transfer; Trifluromethylphenylpiperazine