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Journal article
Psychostimulants As Cognitive Enhancers in Adolescents: More Risk than Reward?
Frontiers in public health, v 5, pp 260-260
26 Sep 2017
PMID: 29034227
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Methylphenidate and other psychostimulants, originally developed to treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, are increasingly abused by healthy adolescents and adults seeking an advantage in scholastic performance and work productivity. However, how these drugs may affect cognitive performance, especially in the young brain, remains unclear. Here, we review recent literature and emphasize the risks of abuse of psychostimulants in healthy adolescents and young adults. We conclude that while the desire for cognitive enhancement, particularly with rising costs of education and increasingly competitive nature of scholarship programs, is unlikely to diminish in the near future, it is crucial for the scientific community to thoroughly examine the efficacy and safety of these stimulants in healthy populations across development. The current dearth of knowledge on the dose–response curve, metabolism, and cognitive outcomes in adolescents following methylphenidate or other psychostimulant exposure may be perpetuating a perception of these drugs as “safe” when that might not be true for developing brains.
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Details
- Title
- Psychostimulants As Cognitive Enhancers in Adolescents: More Risk than Reward?
- Creators
- Kimberly R. Urban - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaWen-Jun Gao - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Frontiers in public health, v 5, pp 260-260
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media S.A
- Grant note
- NIH R01MH085666 / National Institutes of Health
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Neurobiology and Anatomy
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000415674900001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85048533263
- Other Identifier
- 991019167340704721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health