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
I strongly felt an urge to pitch in here, given what people were posting.
Psychostimulants such as amphetamines and methylphenidate which many of you are probably aware of, are first line drugs used to treat ADHD. It may sound counter-intuitive to say a stimulant drug can treat a “stimulant”/”hyper” condition, but these drugs increase certain chemicals (neurotransmitters) between nerve endings (synapses) that control attentional function.
The drugs will increase dopamine and norepinephrine in your brain that interferes with attention negatively, thus bringing the patient back to perceived “normalcy”. It is similar with caffeine as well.
PS I am a doctor.
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