Ritalin's Effect on Thinking & Decision Making
Ritalin’s Effect on Thinking & Decision Making
According to recent research findings published online in Biological
Psychiatry, methylphenidate (Ritalin) works in the brain to help persons
focus better on tasks at hand and possibly enhance an individual’s
ability to think. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
have found that this drug appears to fine tune neurons located in the
prefrontal cortex region of the brain which is involved with attention,
cognition/decision making, and impulse control. These researchers believe
that, when taken in lower doses, Ritalin may assist in helping with a
person’s ability to focus and think but not stimulate or arouse the central
nervous system. Obviously much more research needs to be conducted
to further confirm these findings, but also find out how brain neurons
process complex thought processes associated with thinking and decision
making.
Ritalin is approved by the Food & Drug Administration for the treatment
of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and teenagers
and narcolepsy (brief, uncontrollable periods of deep sleep) in adults.