Positive social interactions during the juvenile and adolescent phases of life, in the form of social play behavior, are important for social and cognitive development. However, the neural mechanisms of social play behavior remain incompletely understood. We have previously shown that methylphenidate and atomoxetine, drugs widely used for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorde...

This study is aimed at investigating the effects of methylphenidate about search strategy use on the spontaneously hypertensive rat, an animal model of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in the Morris water maze. The methylphenidate group rats were given intraperitoneal injection of methylphenidate (10 mg/kg) dissolved in saline 30 min before daily training for 6 consecutive days. In the ...

With the ever-increasing diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, methylphenidate has become readily accessible in the college environment. Several properties of methylphenidate indicate abuse liability. A survey regarding the recreational use of methylphenidate was distributed to the student body at a public, liberal arts college. More than 16% of the students reported they had t...

Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Conduct Disorder (CD) experience deficits in neuropsychological measures of attention, inhibition, and reward processes. Methylphenidate treatment for ADHD and CD has acute effects on these processes. Some of these same aspects of performance are separately described in the Behavioral Model of Impulsivity, which uses a modifie...

A polymorphism in the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) has been previously associated with ADHD and methylphenidate has been hypothesized to block the dopamine transporter. The goal of this study was to examine whether a 40-bp variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) of DAT1 moderate response and adverse effects associated with methylphenidate treatment of adults with ADHD. Subjects were 106 ad...

To the Editor: Methylphenidate is the most commonly prescribed medication to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. The long-term impact of methylphenidate on adult height remains debated1 because a significant negative impact on children’s growth has been suggested. The Multimodal Treatment Study of ADHD showed that children receiving methylphenidate...

OBJECTIVES To better delineate in the medical literature the effect of methylphenidate on weight and appetite. METHODS A search on PubMed was carried out for articles published with no restrictions on language or year of publication using the terms: "methylphenidate"; "weight"; "appetite". RESULTS Methylphenidate increases dopamine and noradrenaline in synapses because of its blockage of th...

Methylphenidate mainly enhances dopamine neurotransmission whereas 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") mainly enhances serotonin neurotransmission. However, both drugs also induce a weaker increase of cerebral noradrenaline exerting sympathomimetic properties. Dopaminergic psychostimulants are reported to increase sexual drive, while serotonergic drugs typically impair sexual ar...

The present article is a review of studies concerning graphomotor functions (handwriting) in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the stimulant-induced (methylphenidate) alterations of both qualitative and quantitative aspects of handwriting. This review indicates an interaction between attentional functions and handwriting in ADHD children treated with methylphenid...