http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. Long-term treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with certain stimulant medications may alter the density of the dopamine transporter, according to research published May 15 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Gene-Jack Wang and colleagues from Brookhaven National Laboratory and the intramural program at NIH. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-long-term-adhd-treatment-brain-dopamine.html Attention deficit disorders Wed, 15 May 2013 17:04:19 EST news287856251 Leslye Nathe did not realize the profound effect that Ritalin was having on her mother's Alzheimer's disease until a doctor stopped the prescription. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-ritalin-apathy-patients-alzheimer-disease.html Alzheimer's disease & dementia Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:50:02 EST news279293507 (Medical Xpress)—A group of scientists from the University of Copenhagen has created a model that shows how some types of ADHD medicine influence the brain's reward system. The model makes it possible to understand the effect of the medicine and perhaps in the longer term to improve the development of medicine and dose determination. The new research results have been published in the Journal of Neurophysiology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-adhd-medicine-affects-brain-reward.html Neuroscience Fri, 09 Nov 2012 11:31:06 EST news271683055 (HealthDay) -- Chronic use of methylphenidate (Ritalin) in young monkeys has no significant effect on growth or the dopamine system, or the likelihood of becoming addicted to cocaine, according to a study published online July 18 in Neuropsychopharmacology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-animal-long-term-ritalin-doesnt-impact.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 20 Jul 2012 13:30:02 EST news262008331 The ability of the commonly used stimulant methylphenidate (Ritalin) to speed recovery from general anesthesia appears to apply both to the inhaled gas isoflurane, as previously reported, and to the intravenous drug propofol. Members of the same Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) research team that reported the isoflurane study are publishing similar results for propofol in the May issue of Anesthesiology, and their paper has been issued online. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-recovery-propofol-anesthesia-sped-common.html Medical research Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:55:57 EST news252856538 (Medical Xpress) -- People who take Ritalin are far more aware of their mistakes, a University of Melbourne study has found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-insights-brain.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 24 Feb 2012 05:35:07 EST news249284094 (Medical Xpress) -- We put a lot of energy into improving our memory, intelligence, and attention. There are even drugs that make us sharper, such as Ritalin and caffeine. But maybe smarter isn’t really all that better. A new paper published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, warns that there are limits on how smart humans can get, and any increases in thinking ability are likely to come with problems. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-arent-smarter-evolutionary-limits-cognition.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:24:01 EST news242457822 Administration of the commonly used stimulant drug methylphenidate (Ritalin) was able to speed recovery from general anesthesia in an animal study conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). The report, appearing in the October issue of Anesthesiology, is the first demonstration in mammals of what could be a safe and effective way to induce arousal from general anesthesia. While there are drugs to counteract many of the agents used by anesthesiologists – such as pain killers and muscle relaxants – until now there has been no way to actively reverse the unconsciousness induced by general anesthesia. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-common-recovery-anesthesia.html Other Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:48:28 EST news235813689 (Medical Xpress) -- A new study released this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science reveals that the medication methylphenidate, best known as Ritalin, may delay puberty in males. The researchers caution that this study was performed in monkeys and more research needs to be done before it can determine possible effects on humans. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-adhd-drugs-affect-male-puberty.html Attention deficit disorders Tue, 20 Sep 2011 10:34:03 EST news235733605