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 The stimulant drug methylphenidate "normalizes" activation of several brain areas in young patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a review published in the May Harvard Review of Psychiatry. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-methylphenidate-key-brain-areas-kids.html Attention deficit disorders Thu, 09 May 2013 16:09:08 EST news287334538 (HealthDay)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is attempting to halt distribution of dietary supplements that contain the stimulant dimethylamylamine (DMAA), following reports of illness and death associated with these supplements. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-fda-consumers-dangers-dmaa.html Health Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:00:10 EST news285249525 Nearly one in five American teenage boys is diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, marking a dramatic rise in the past decade, the New York Times reported on Monday. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-teenage-boys-adhd.html Attention deficit disorders Mon, 01 Apr 2013 09:02:55 EST news284025768 Governments around the world should stop squandering resources fighting an "unwinnable war" against illegal drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. Instead, they should use the cash to curb antibiotic misuse, which poses a far more serious threat to human health, claims a leading ethicist in the Journal of Medical Ethics. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-scrap-unwinnable-drugs-war-funds.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:30:03 EST news280602901 Doctors who graduate from medical schools with an active policy on restricting gifts from the pharmaceutical industry are less likely to prescribe new drugs over existing alternatives, suggests a study published in BMJ today. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-medical-school-gift-restriction-policies.html Medications Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:30:02 EST news278872252 (Medical Xpress)—Testing asthmatic children for a specific gene could prevent their condition worsening, according to new research by scientists in Dundee and Brighton. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-gene-asthmatic-children-treatment.html Inflammatory disorders Tue, 08 Jan 2013 08:33:40 EST news276856410 For individuals with obstructive sleep apnea traveling to higher altitudes (which may exacerbate symptoms), use of a combination therapy resulted in improvement in symptoms including reduced insomnia and better control of sleep apnea, according to a preliminary study published in the December 12 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-combination-therapy-decrease-apnea-symptoms.html Sleep apnea Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:00:08 EST news274462133 (Medical Xpress)—Deaths related to a group of now-banned 'legal highs' rose sharply from 5 in 2009 to 43 in 2010, reveals a report on the latest UK drug death figures released today. While deaths involving methcathinones – which were outlawed in 2010 and include mephedrone – rose, those involving heroin fell significantly. And a decrease in cocaine-related deaths observed over several years continued. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-annual-uk-drug-deaths-fall.html Addiction Wed, 07 Nov 2012 08:20:02 EST news271496172 (Medical Xpress)—Children taking central nervous system stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin do not face an increased risk of serious heart conditions during treatment, according to a new University of Florida study that confirms findings reported in 2011. Published in the British Medical Journal in August, the study contributes to a decade-long clinical and policy debate of treatment risks for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-adhd-drugs-heart-conditions-children.html Attention deficit disorders Thu, 01 Nov 2012 07:30:01 EST news270972156 A new study to be presented at the Society for Experimental Biology meeting on June 30 has shown that caffeine boosts power in older muscles, suggesting the stimulant could aid elderly people to maintain their strength, reducing the incidence of falls and injuries. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-caffeine-boosts-power-elderly-muscles.html Health Thu, 28 Jun 2012 21:00:02 EST news260124810 A team of researchers led by an epidemiologist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and University of Iceland has found a correlation between the age at which children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) begin taking medication, and how well they perform on standardized tests, particularly in math. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-mount-sinai-adhd-medication-affect.html Attention deficit disorders Mon, 25 Jun 2012 03:30:01 EST news259811724 In the eyes of young college men, it's more unethical to use steroids to get an edge in sports than it is to use prescription stimulants to enhance one's grades, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-college-men-steroids-game-ethical.html Addiction Tue, 08 May 2012 11:16:54 EST news255694588 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 Australian states need to clarify inconsistent regulation of the stimulant “khat”, and users need to know more about the negative health effects, a research study has found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-khat-reveals-poor-effects.html Addiction Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:49:31 EST news252146954 (Medical Xpress) -- Caffeinated-alcoholic beverages (CABs) were banned from the U.S. market in November 2010 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which noted serious health incidents at university campuses. However, current manufacturers of Four Loko, Moonshot, Joose, Core High Gravity and others continue to tap into a primarily young-adult-male market with separate highly caffeinated drinks (also called energy drinks) and high-alcohol drinks. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-bull-high-energy-high-alcohol.html Health Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:45:35 EST news252146669 The first study to look at methamphetamine's potential lasting effects on children whose mothers used it in pregnancy finds these kids at higher risk for behavior problems than other children. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-meth-babies-behavior-problems.html Addiction Mon, 19 Mar 2012 05:18:29 EST news251353091 Caffeine improves the effectiveness of over-the-counter pain relieving drugs, but only by a small margin, according to a new evidence review in The Cochrane Library. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-caffeine-small-boost-painkillers-effectiveness.html Medications Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:30:02 EST news251107741 (Medical Xpress) -- Researchers funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) at the University of Cambridge have identified a brain abnormality which is found in drug-dependent individuals as well as their siblings who have had no history of drug addiction. The brain abnormality identified by the researchers makes it more difficult for individuals to exercise self-control. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-brains-addicts-inherently-abnormal.html Neuroscience Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:15:46 EST news247425336 Since mephedrone was made illegal in the UK in 2010, the street price of the drug has risen while the quality has degraded, which in turn may have reduced use of the drug. New research published online today reveals that young people who continued to use mephedrone after it became illegal would switch to a new legal high if it were pure and rated highly by their friends or on the Internet. They would be less deterred by a lack of scientific research on the new drug. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-mephedrone-users-uk-ready-legal.html Health Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:52:10 EST news246081105 (Medical Xpress) -- Drinking and driving is a much-publicized, dangerous combination, but is walking after drinking any safer? http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-perils-drunken.html Health Fri, 09 Dec 2011 06:34:22 EST news242634848 College students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who take a prostimulant medication can improve attention and organization and planning skills, according to results of the first study to look at the medical treatment of ADHD among this population. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-medication-college-students-adhd.html Attention deficit disorders Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:00:02 EST news241952453 The rapid emergence of synthetic new drugs, often sold online as "legal highs," represents a significant challenge for policy makers in the coming decade, a European Union drugs agency said Tuesday. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-eu-drugs-watchdog-legal-highs.html Health Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:09:25 EST news240574157 Parents of young caffeine consumers take heed: that high-calorie energy drink or soda might present more than just obesity risk. In fact, according to a double-blind, placebo-controlled study that examined responses to stimulants, an individual's subjective response to caffeine may predict how he or she will respond to other stimulant drugs, possibly reflecting differences in risk for abuse of other more serious drugs of abuse, such as amphetamine and cocaine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-jonesing-java-caffeine-cocaine-abuse.html Other Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:59:45 EST news237203973 The prescribed use of stimulant medications to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rose slowly but steadily from 1996 to 2008, according to a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The study was published online ahead of print September 28, 2011, in the American Journal of Psychiatry. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-adhd-steadily.html Attention deficit disorders Wed, 28 Sep 2011 03:34:51 EST news236399666 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