Commentary
In the United States, the number of people being diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is
on the rise—especially among young women. People with ADHD struggle to pay attention and manage their impulses.
In an effort to treat the neurodevelopmental disorder, doctors often prescribe stimulants such as Ritalin, the brand name for the prescription drug methylphenidate, and Adderall, a potent mixture of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. But those without ADHD also use the drugs. They assume that Ritalin and Adderall will help them perform better in exams and in the workplace. According to a new study, such assumptions appear to be false.
Adderall and Ritalin are known as “smart drugs.” They’re thought to enhance cognitive performance. Users
regularly report subjective feelings of cognitive enhancement. But these subjective reports don’t appear to correspond with objective reality.
In
a new study, published in Science Advances, researchers examined the effects of “smart drugs” on cognitive performance. The results clearly show that the drugs don’t work; they don’t make individuals any smarter. In the study, users appeared to work more efficiently, but in general, the drugs made them perform poorly. Frantic behavior doesn’t represent productivity. Moreover, drug users’ final output was worse than the non-drug users’.
One of the authors of the study,
Elizabeth Bowman, a professor of finance at the University of Melbourne, told me that people taking the likes of Ritalin and Adderall tend to take longer to complete tasks and try more combinations before submitting their solutions.
“So,” she added, “if you think in terms of productivity” as well as “all the extra time and effort expended, we find that their productivity is dramatically reduced.”
According to Ms. Bowman, whose current research focuses on the science of decision-making, “the takeaway is that there are no shortcuts. We understand that there are lots of people out there trying to get an edge in their work or study but they may be making cognitive trade-offs that they are not expecting.”
The trade-offs go way beyond the cognitive realm.
A staggering estimated
41 million Americans now have an Adderall prescription. As for Ritalin, the United States currently produces and consumes
approximately 85 percent of the world’s supply of the central nervous system stimulant. Millions of Americans
are misusing prescription stimulants.
In rats, exposure to methylphenidate
at a young age has been shown to lead to behavioral changes, increase depressive symptoms, and make them more susceptible to the deleterious effects of chronic stress.
Meanwhile, excessive Adderall use
can result in significant weight loss, nausea/vomiting, dizziness, migraines, diarrhea, fever, and insomnia. It can also result in changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and mood. Long-term use of Adderall
can even lead to heart problems, stunted growth in children, and serious mental health issues.
Furthermore, long-term use of Adderall often results in tolerance, i.e., the need to use a substance in greater quantities over time to achieve the desired effect. Tolerance and addiction go
hand in hand.
The bad news doesn’t end there.
Still reeling from the effects of the pandemic on supply chains, the country is
experiencing a shortage of both Adderall and Ritalin.
In the United States, many of those who can’t get a prescription for the drugs end up buying counterfeit versions instead. This is extremely dangerous. Knockoff versions
could contain a number of life-threatening hidden ingredients, i
ncluding fentanyl or methamphetamine. Overdoses of various kinds are now the
leading cause of preventable death among young Americans.
Taking the risk in the hope of improving cognitive performance might not be so smart.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
