DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Opium, a Friend or Foe.

Opium has found great use medicinally for its analgesic properties and has been witnessed as one of the most popular medications used in psychiatry. Opium derivatives have been shown as efficacious for relieving pain and the treatment of epileptic seizures, but progressive research toward their use in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases remain elusive. To gain more insight into the other properties of opium such as anti-inflammatory properties, herein we discuss basic information regarding opium, opium content and mechanism of action, pharmacology of opium derivatives, the role of opium in the prevention of neurodegeneration, and adverse effects of opium derivatives on neuronal health.