Labels: addiction, ADHD, ritalin
Posted By: Aspen Education Group
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Ritalin May Be Addictive
Researchers at Rockefeller University have conducted a study with mice that indicates that Ritalin, a drug commonly prescribed to treat attention-deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD), may be addictive. Study findings suggest that long-term exposure to the drug could induce addiction because "Methylphenidate [Ritalin] and cocaine have similar chemical structures and their pharmacological effects appear to be similar," said study author Yong Kim, a senior research associate at The Rockefeller University. Long-term exposure to the drug appears to cause changes in neuronal morphology (the shape of neurons) and brain chemistry in the same way that cocaine does. (Sources: www.forbes.com)