Prescription Stimulant Medications Used As Cognitive Enhancers By People Without AD/HD Appear To Reduce Performance In Complex Everyday Activities, Small Study Indicates

According to MedPage Today (6/14, George), “prescription stimulants used as cognitive enhancers by people without” attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD)” appear to reduce “performance in complex everyday activities,” investigators concluded in the findings of a 40-participant, “double-blind randomized trial.” The cognitive enhancers studied included methylphenidate (Ritalin), dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), and modafinil (Provigil).”

HealthDay (6/14, Thompson) reports that subjects of the study “took much longer to complete tasks because they acted in a more erratic, scattershot manner while they worked.” The findings were published online June 14 in the journal Science Advances.

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— “For Folks Without the Condition, Taking ADHD Meds to Get ‘Smarter’ Could Backfire,” Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, June 14, 2023

Posted in In The News.