If caffeinated drinks like coffee are meant to give you boosts of energy then why is it recommended for kids with ADHD to calm them down?
In: Biology
Folks with ADHD have an underdeveloped area in the brain called the prefrontal cortex. Basically think of it like the secretary of the brain. It’s job is to tell you what’s important to pay attention to and to generally organize incoming stuff. When this area is underdeveloped, your mind basically doesn’t know how long it’s supposed to pay attention to something, kinda like scheduling meetings. It’s not struggling to engage attention with something, it’s also struggling to disengage. When a nonADHD person sees a squirrel, they know whether or not they need to keep focusing on the squirrel thanks to the secretary. When you give a person with ADHD a stimulant like caffeine, it stimulates the area, essentially getting the secretary to do its job. When the secretary is doing its job, the person with ADHD doesn’t have to anymore, which means they can work better and don’t have to work as hard.
Latest Answers