A research team at Weil Cornell Medical College has discovered some potential long-term effects of Ritalin use on brain development. The study was conducted on very young rats that were given injections of Ritalin from the time they were seven to 35 days old.

"The changes we saw in the brains of treated rats occurred in areas strongly linked to higher executive functioning, addiction and appetite, social relationships and stress," the study's senior author, neuroscience professor Dr. Teresa Milner, wrote. "These alterations gradually disappeared over time once the rats no longer received the drug."

According to July 18 article on the www.news-medical.net, Dr. Miner also reported that that the study emphasizes the degree of caution that doctors must use in diagnosing ADHD before prescribing Ritalin. For example, the brain changes noted in the study would be helpful for someone with ADHD, but could harm an individual with healthy brain chemistry.

Labels: research, ritalin, brain_chemistry

Posted By: Aspen/CRC