Amphetamines and cocaine are similar because both block dopamine reuptake, but amphetamines also stimulate dopamine release.

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Amphetamines exert their stimulant effects through a dual-action mechanism involving dopamine. They are similar to cocaine in that they block the reuptake of dopamine from the synapse, but they also actively stimulate the release of this neurotransmitter, which further increases its concentration and impact.

Amphetamine's Mechanism of Action

Cocaine acts as an agonist in the dopamine neurotransmitter system by blocking dopamine reuptake at the neuronal synapse.

Cocaine's Mechanism of Action

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Comparison of Amphetamine and Cocaine Mechanisms of Action

A researcher observes that a certain stimulant drug causes a rapid and significant increase in the concentration of dopamine in the neuronal synapse. Which of the following descriptions of the drug's actions would best account for this observation?

The illustration shows cocaine attached to a channel on the presynaptic cell, with an X indicating that the bound cocaine does not enter that cell. Dopamine molecules are shown in the space between the presynaptic and postsynaptic cells, and only dopamine is shown binding to the postsynaptic cell's receptors.

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