Introduction -- Novel Psychoactive Substances: classification and General Information -- Khat - A Natural Precursor of Synthetic Cathinones -- Analytical Techniques for the Detection of Synthetic Cathinones and Their Metabolites -- Metabolism of Synthetic Cathinones -- Monoamine Transporter and Receptor Interaction Profiles of Synthetic Cathinones -- Effects of Synthetic Cathinones on Brain Neurotransmitters -- Behavioral Profiles and Underlying Transmitters Circuits of Cathinone-Derived Psychostimulant Drugs of Abuse -- Synthetic Cathinones - Prevalence and Motivation of Use -- The Effects and Risks Associated with Synthetic Cathinones Use in Humans -- Concluding Remarks.

Over the last decade a rapidly increasing number of novel psychoactive substance (NPSs), often marketed as "designer drugs", "legal highs", "herbal highs", "research or intermediate chemicals" and "laboratory reagents", has appeared on the drug market worldwide in an effort to bypass controlled substance legislation. NPSs encompass a wide range of different compounds and drug classes but had been dominated by synthetic cannabinomimetics and psychostimulatory synthetic cathinones, so-called b-keto amphetamines. Compounds from the later class were first detected in Europe in 2004, and since that time more than 130 new cathinones have been identified and reported to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. The rapid and extensive worldwide rise of synthetic cathinone abuse is attracting increasing attention, due to many intoxications and overdose deaths.