Approximately 56 percent of school-aged ADHD patients are taking medication, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ritalin is among the most popular stimulant medications for ADHD. It has a strong effect on certain neurotransmitter functions of the central nervous system. Ritalin also causes brain effects responsible for short- and long-term memory, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Stimulating Effects
Since Ritalin is a stimulant, it changes the way neurons communicate with one another. A neuron releases chemicals called neurotransmitters when it wishes to communicate with other neurons. According to BrainHealthAndPuzzles.com, Ritalin affects the way neurons communicate by enhancing the transmission of two neurotransmitters called dopamine and norepinephrine. For reasons that are still unclear, increased dopamine release makes people who do not suffer from ADHD hyperactive but calms ADHD patients down.
Short-term Effects
More proof that Ritalin does not act as a stimulant in the brains of an ADHD patients comes from a study by Drs. David Devilbiss and Craig Berridge from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The authors reported in "Biological Psychiatry Journal" in June 2008 that Ritalin affects the functions of neurons in the prefrontal cortex. This area is important for memory, attention, decision-making and impulse control. Thus, while Ritalin activates the prefrontal cortex of an ADHD patient, it makes him more focused, increases his attention and helps him to plan better.
The authors state that clinically relevant doses of Ritalin mainly affect the prefrontal cortex without affecting those brain areas that are linked to drug addiction. In other words, although Ritalin is a stimulant, it does not seem to act as a stimulant in a person who suffers from ADHD. If a person who does not suffer from ADHD takes Ritalin, or if a higher than recommended dosage is taken, the effects of Ritalin will be just like those of any other stimulant.
Long-term Effects
It was first thought that Ritalin is a short-acting drug. Yet, a study conducted by Joan Baizer, Ph.D. and colleagues from the University of Buffalo showed that, at least in animals, this drug may cause long-lasting changes in the brain. This study, presented during the Society for Neuroscience meeting in November 2001, reported that rats that were given Ritalin from infancy to the time they reached adolescence showed permanent changes in some neural functions, especially in the striatum area. The striatum it is part of the basal ganglia and has an important role in planning movement pathways and variety of cognitive processes.
References
- Brainhealthandpuzzles.com: Brain Effects Of Ritalin
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: FDA Asks ADHD Drug Manufacturers to Develop
- ScienceDaily.com: Ritalin May Cause Long-Lasting Changes In Brain-Cell Function, University At Buffalo Researchers Find
- "Biological Psychiatry Journal"; Cognition-Enhancing Doses of Methylphenidate Preferentially Increase Prefrontal Cortex Neuronal Responsiveness;Devilbiss DM, Berridge CW; October 2008
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
