Could long term use of meds actually restore your brain to work like a NT brain?
In: Chemistry
One of the issues that is associated with ADHD is the brain’s deficiency in producing dopamine and/or being desensitizes with it.
Let’s focus on the second cause (desensitization to dopamine). Most adhd medications like adderall and Ritalin work, by inhibiting the “reuptake” of dopamine by the pre synaptic neuron.
The pre synaptic neuron releases dopamine into something called the synapse (space between neurons). It is here that the post synaptic neuron is able to absorb it and continue the message. However, while that is happening the pre synaptic neuron actually has little transporters that take back the dopamine to either recycle it or prevent overstimulation of the post synaptic neuron.
Medications like adderall or Ritalin work by binding to these transporters which blocks the dopamine’s entry back into the pre synaptic neuron. This blockage allows the post synaptic neuron to have more exposure and time with absorbing the dopamine.
The difference between someone with ADHD and non-ADHD might come to stimulation. Both people have the same “threshold” to be stimulated. However someone with ADHD has a relatively lower “baseline” of stimulation. This can explain why some patients might show fidgety motions or get distracted easily, they are forcing themselves to be stimulated to compensate for their lower “baseline”.
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