LSU Psychology Department researches the effects of ADHD medications

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By Charles Nunmaker

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is a condition that affects people all over the world. ADHD is most commonly found in children, but even adolescents and adults still carry the symptoms of ADHD. The medications to counter the symptoms are growing as pharmaceutical companies find new and more effective drugs that can be used to take advantage of a growing market.

These medications are used everywhere. As more people start to use them, a pattern has occurred, which is currently being surveyed by LSU's Department of Psychology. After receiving a grant from the Spencer Foundation, Professor Claire Advokat and her associates are researching the biggest problem with ADHD medications: long-term effects.

In a recent editorial in the Journal of Attention Disorders, Dr. Advokat published their research which shows that taking ADHD drugs does not seem to give a person the long-term effects of enhanced attention that it achieves in the short-run.

As published in the Journal, Dr. Advokat said, "Given their well-established benefit for increasing attention and concentration, it seems counterintuitive that ADHD medications are not more effective in improving academic and occupational attainment. It is time to address this question and clarify the cognitive effects, as opposed to the activating, arousing and energizing actions of those drugs."

The drugs that Dr. Advokat is speaking of are stimulant medications such as Ritalin, Adderall, Dexedrine, and other amphetamine-based drugs. The reason a person feels these effects, such as increased attention and energy, is due to the release of dopamine in the brain.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with motivation, pleasure, attention and movement, so an increase in dopamine gives a person a sense of heightened energy while reducing impulsive behaviors in a person.

This increase in concentration and energy can enhance a student's study skills; however, with Dr. Advokat's research, evidence has surfaced that the short-term effect of the drugs does not coincide with the long-term success of a person with ADHD.

In short, studies have shown that ADHD medications will allow a person to pay attention and be more focused. However, the long-term educational success does not improve.

These studies showed that even though students were able to basically learn more and accomplish more tasks in the short term, the students' standardized scores did not improve and the students did not achieve a higher level of education. Dr. Advokat says that there could be many explanations to why this correlation exists.

"Even though the drugs increase attention and concentration and energy, they do other things like reduce your ability to think more flexibly for instance. So, when you have to think outside of the box, the drugs might make that harder to do," said Dr. Advokat.

"In other words, there might be a trade off; some cognitive abilities get better, others get worse. There could also be a placebo effect for the learning. Just because a person can feel that they have taken a stimulant, they might believe that they will also be able to think and remember better."

Even though ADHD stimulants do not insure long-term cognitive effect in a student, Dr. Advokat did say that pharmaceutical companies are working to achieve such a drug. She also said that the drug might not come from ADHD research, but from research on other mental diseases and conditions.

"In my opinion, the ultimate cognitive enhance may not come from research on better drugs for ADHD, but on drugs to tread dementia-like Alzheimer's disease. There are a lot of drug companies looking for that medication, and it seems to me that the research may really lead to a true memory drug," said Dr. Advokat.

Originally Published: Issue 810 - July 22, 2009

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