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| Amphetamine psychosis is a form of psychosis which can result
from amphetamine or methamphetamine use. Typically it appears
after large doses or chronic use, although in rare cases some
people may become psychotic after relatively small doses. Other
chemicals or drugs which similarly increase dopamine function
(such as cocaine and L-DOPA) can produce similar psychotic
states. Because of this, the term stimulant psychosis is
sometimes used in preference. Amphetamine psychosis can include
delusions, hallucinations and thought disorder. This is thought
to be largely due to the increase in dopamine activity in the
mesolimbic pathway of the brain caused by amphetamine-like
drugs, although other factors such as chronic sleep deprivation
may also play a part. The link between amphetamine and psychosis
is one of the major sources of evidence for the dopamine
hypothesis of psychosis. The link b