Methylphenidate is used for the treatment ofattention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).[32] The dosage may vary and istitrated to effect, with some guidelines recommending initial treatment with a low dose.[33] Methylphenidate is available in both immediate-release andmodified-release formulations.[34][35] Methylphenidate is not approved for children under six years of age.[36][37]
The International Consensus Statement on ADHD shows that the results fromsystematic reviews,meta-analyses and large scale studies are clear: methylphenidate is safe and among the most efficacious drugs in all of medicine; treatment in the long-term substantially reduces accidental injuries, traumatic brain injury, substance abuse, cigarette smoking, educational underachievement, bone fractures, sexually transmitted infections, depression, suicide, criminal activity, teenage pregnancy, vehicle crashes, burn injuries and overall-cause mortality, and eliminates the increased risk for obesity.[38]
One committee from theWorld Health Organization (WHO) responsible for theWorld Health Organization Essential Medicines List rejected an application in 2019, and a second application endorsed by 51 professional medical groups in 2021, for methylphenidate's inclusion due to uncertainty about its efficacy and safety.[39][40] However, in November 2023, the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme Guidelines for mental, neurological, and substance use disorders recommended that methylphenidate should be considered for children aged 6 years and older who have ADHD, noting specifically that, "methylphenidate treatment shows substantial effects on symptom reduction",[41] in addition to other WHO publications.[42] In 2024, theEuropean Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (ESCAP) and theAmerican Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) endorsed the inclusion of methylphenidate in the WHO EML.[43][44]
Since ADHD diagnosis has increased around the world, methylphenidate may be misused as a "study drug" by some populations, which may be harmful.[45] This also applies to people who may be experiencing a different issue and aremisdiagnosed with ADHD.[45] People in this category are prone to experience the negative side-effects of the drug, which can worsen their condition.[45]
Long-term meta-analyses and systematic reviews show that the medications used to treat ADHD are not associated with observed deficits in brain structure, but with improved brain development and functioning, most prominently in inferior frontal and striatal regions.[38] The most comprehensive meta-analysis available (19 studies with over 3.9 million participants) found "no statistically significant association between ADHD medications [including methylphenidate] and the risk of cardiovascular event among children and adolescents, young and middle-aged adults, or older adults";[46] as do other systematic reviews and meta-analyses.[47][48][49]
Narcolepsy, achronicsleep disorder characterized by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and uncontrollable sleep, is treated primarily with stimulants. Methylphenidate is considered effective in increasingwakefulness, vigilance, and performance.[50] Methylphenidate improves measures ofsomnolence onstandardized tests, such as theMultiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), but performance does not improve to levels comparable to healthy people.[51]
Methylphenidate may also be prescribed foroff-label use intreatment-resistant cases ofbipolar disorder andmajor depressive disorder.[52] It can also improve depression in several groups, includingstroke,cancer, andHIV-positive patients.[53] There is weak evidence in favor of methylphenidate's effectiveness for depression,[54] including providing additional benefit in combination withantidepressants.[55] In individuals withterminal cancer, methylphenidate can be used to counteractopioid-inducedsomnolence, to increase theanalgesic effects of opioids, to treat depression, and to improve cognitive function.[56] A 2021 systematic review and meta-analysis found that all studies on geriatric depression reported positive results of methylphenidate use; the review recommended short-term use in combination withcitalopram.[57] A 2018 review found low-quality evidence supporting its use to treat apathy as seen inAlzheimer's disease, in addition to slight benefits for cognition and cognitive performance.[58]
Excessive doses of methylphenidate, above the therapeutic range, can interfere with working memory andcognitive control.[72][73] Like amphetamine andbupropion, methylphenidate increases stamina andendurance in humans primarily throughreuptake inhibition of dopamine in the central nervous system.[77] Similar to the loss of cognitive enhancement when using large amounts, large doses of methylphenidate can induceside effects that impair athletic performance, such asrhabdomyolysis andhyperthermia.[78] While literature suggests it might improve cognition, most authors agree that using the drug as a study aid when an ADHD diagnosis is not present does not actually improveGPA.[45] Moreover, it has been suggested that students who use the drug for studying may be self-medicating for potentially deeper underlying issues.[45]
Pregnant women are advised to only use the medication if the benefits outweigh the potential risks.[80] Not enough human studies have been conducted to conclusively demonstrate an effect of methylphenidate onfetal development.[81] In 2018, a review concluded that it has not beenteratogenic in rats and rabbits, and that it "is not a major human teratogen".[82]
Addiction experts in psychiatry, chemistry, pharmacology,forensic science, epidemiology, and the police and legal services engaged indelphic analysis regarding 20 popular recreational drugs. Methylphenidate was ranked 13th in dependence, 12th in physical harm, and 18th in social harm.[83]
Results from a 2024 systematic review showed that methylphenidate significantly improves ADHD symptoms and broadband measures but can cause appetite suppression and other adverse events in children and adolescents.[89] Smokers with ADHD who take methylphenidate may increase theirnicotine dependence, and smoke more often than before they began using methylphenidate, with increased nicotine cravings and an average increase of 1.3 cigarettes per day.[90]
There is some evidence of mild reductions in height with prolonged treatment in children.[91] This has been estimated at 1 centimetre (0.4 in) or less per year during the first three years with a total decrease of 3 centimetres (1.2 in) over 10 years.[92][93]
Hypersensitivity (includingskin rash,urticaria, andfever) is sometimes reported when using transdermal methylphenidate. TheDaytrana patch has a much higher rate of skin reactions than oral methylphenidate.[94]
Methylphenidate can worsenpsychosis in people who are psychotic, and in very rare cases it has been associated with the emergence of new psychotic symptoms.[95] It should be used with extreme caution in people withbipolar disorder due to the potential induction ofmania orhypomania.[96] There have been very rare reports ofsuicidal ideation, but some authors claim that evidence does not support a link.[91]Logorrhea is occasionally reported and visualhallucinations are very rarely reported.[86]Priapism is a very rare adverse event that can be potentially serious.[97]
U.S. Food and Drug Administration-commissioned studies in 2011 indicate that in children, young adults, and adults, there is no association between serious adversecardiovascular events (sudden death,heart attack, andstroke) and the medical use of methylphenidate or other ADHD stimulants.[98]
Because some adverse effects may only emerge during chronic use of methylphenidate, a constant watch for adverse effects is recommended.[99]
A 2018Cochrane review found that methylphenidate might be associated with serious side effects such as heart problems, psychosis, and death. The certainty of the evidence was stated as very low.[100]
The same review found tentative evidence that it may cause both serious and non-serious adverse effects in children.[100][d]
Packaging of a formulation of methylphenidate advises against crushing the tablets. It is placed under Schedule X of the Indian drug scheduling system. Schedule X medications typically hold abusable medications such as barbiturates or stimulants such as amphetamines.
Methylphenidate is a stimulant with an addiction liability and dependence liability similar toamphetamine. It has moderate liability amongaddictive drugs;[104][105] accordingly,addiction andpsychological dependence are possible and likely when methylphenidate is used as a recreational drug.[105] When used above the medical dose range, stimulants are associated with the development ofstimulant psychosis.[106]
Methylphenidate has the potential to induceeuphoria due to itspharmacodynamic effect (i.e.,dopamine reuptake inhibition) in the brain'sreward system. At therapeutic doses, ADHD stimulants do not sufficiently activate the reward system; consequently, when taken as directed in doses that are commonly prescribed for the treatment of ADHD, methylphenidate use lacks the capacity to cause anaddiction.[105]
When methylphenidate is coingested withethanol, a metabolite calledethylphenidate is formed viahepatictransesterification,[111][112] not unlike the hepatic formation ofcocaethylene fromcocaine and ethanol. The reduced potency of ethylphenidate and its minor formation means it does not contribute to the pharmacological profile at therapeutic doses, and even in overdose cases, ethylphenidate concentrations remain negligible.[113][112]
Coingestion ofalcohol also increases the blood plasma levels of d-methylphenidate by up to 40%.[114]
Liver toxicity from methylphenidate is extremely rare, but limited evidence suggests that intake ofβ-adrenergic agonists with methylphenidate may increase the risk of liver toxicity.[115]
Methylphenidate is apsychostimulant and increases the activity of thecentral nervous system through inhibition on reuptake of the neurotransmittersnorepinephrine anddopamine. As models ofattention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) suggest, it is associated with functional impairments in some of the brain'sneurotransmitter systems, particularly those involving dopamine in themesocortical andmesolimbic pathways and norepinephrine in theprefrontal cortex andlocus coeruleus.[119] Psychostimulants like methylphenidate and amphetamine may be effective in treating ADHD because they increase neurotransmitter activity in these systems. When reuptake of those neurotransmitters is halted, its concentration and effects in thesynapse increase and last longer, respectively. Therefore, methylphenidate is called a norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor.[113] By increasing the effects of norepinephrine and dopamine, methylphenidate increases the activity of the central nervous system and produces effects such as increased alertness, reducedfatigue, and improved attention.[119][120]
Methylphenidate is most active at modulating levels of dopamine (DA) and to a lesser extent norepinephrine (NE).[121] Methylphenidate binds to and blocksdopamine transporters (DAT) andnorepinephrine transporters (NET).[122] Variability exists between DAT blockade, and extracellular dopamine, leading to the hypothesis that methylphenidate amplifiesbasal dopamine activity, leading to nonresponse in those with low basal DA activity.[123] In animals and brain tissue, methylphenidate has been shown todose-dependently increase brain dopamine levels.[124][125][126][127] On average, methylphenidate elicits a 3 to 4 times increase in dopamine and norepinephrine in thestriatum andprefrontal cortex.[1]Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies suggest that long-term treatment with ADHD stimulants (specifically,amphetamine and methylphenidate) decreases abnormalities inbrain structure and function found in subjects with ADHD.[128][129][130][f]
The difference in mechanism of action between methylphenidate and amphetamine results in methylphenidate inhibiting amphetamine's effects on monoamine transporters when they are co-administered.[134][better source needed]
There exist some paradoxical findings that oppose the notion that methylphenidate acts as silent antagonist of the DAT (DAT inhibitor).[139] DAT occupancy of 80% is necessary for methylphenidate's euphoriant effect, but re-administration of methylphenidate beyond this level of DAT occupancy has been found to produce similarly potent euphoriant effects (despite DAT occupancy being unchanged with repeated administration).[139] By contrast, other DAT inhibitors such asbupropion have not been observed to exhibit this effect.[140] These observations, among others, have prompted the hypothesis that methylphenidate may actually act as a "DAT inverse agonist" or "negative allosteric modifier of the DAT" by reversing the direction of the dopamine flux by the DAT at higher dosages rather than by acting as a simple competitive transporter blocker.[124]
Methylphenidate mayprotect neurons from the neurotoxic effects ofParkinson's disease andmethamphetamine use disorder.[141] The hypothesized mechanism of neuroprotection is through inhibition of methamphetamine–DAT interactions, and through reducing cytosolic dopamine, leading to decreased production of dopamine-relatedreactive oxygen species.[141]
The dextrorotary enantiomers are significantly more potent than the levorotary enantiomers, and some medications therefore only contain dexmethylphenidate.[121] The studied maximized daily dosage of OROS methylphenidate appears to be 144 mg/day.[142]
Methylphenidate taken by mouth has abioavailability of 11–52% with a duration of action around 2–4 hours for immediate-release (IR) (i.e., Ritalin), 3–8 hours forsustained-release (i.e., Ritalin LA), and 8–12 hours for extended-release (ER) (i.e., Concerta). Thehalf-life of methylphenidate is 2–3 hours, depending on the individual. The peak plasma time is achieved at about 2 hours.[12] Methylphenidate has a low plasma protein binding of 10–33% and a volume of distribution of 2.65 L/kg.[143]
d-Methylphenidate is much more bioavailable thanl-methylphenidate when administered orally, and is primarily responsible for the psychoactivity ofracemic methylphenidate.[12]
The oralbioavailability and speed of absorption for immediate-release methylphenidate is increased when administered with a meal.[144] The effects of a high fat meal on the observedCmax differ between someextended-release formulations, with combined IR/ER andOROS formulations showing reduced Cmax levels[145] while liquid-based extended-release formulations showed increased Cmax levels when administered with a high-fat meal, according to some researchers.[146] A 2003 study, however, showed no difference between a high-fat meal administration and a fasting administration of oral methylphenidate.[147]
Methylphenidate ismetabolized intoritalinic acid byCES1A1 enzymes in the liver. Dextromethylphenidate is selectively metabolized at a slower rate than levomethylphenidate.[148] 97% of the metabolised drug is excreted in the urine, and between 1 and 3% is excreted in the faeces. A small amount, less than 1%, of the drug is excreted in the urine in its unchanged form.[143]
Despite the claim made by some urban legends, it is not acocaine derivative nor analog, however, both compounds contain a methyl piperidinylcarboxylate moiety with 2-carbon distance betweennitrogen andmethanoate, methylphenidate containing methyl (piperidin-2-yl)-ethanoate and cocaine containing methyl (piperidin-3-yl)-methanoate. Cocaine is alocal anesthetic and ligand channel blocker withSNDRI action, while methylphenidate is anNDRI with 2–3 fold selectivity for thedopamine transporter (DAT) over thenorepinephrine transporter (NET). Cocaine is also more potent inserotonin transporters (SERTs) than NDRI sites.[149][150]
Fourisomers of methylphenidate are possible, since the molecule has twochiral centers. One pair ofthreo isomers and one pair oferythro are distinguished, from which primarilyd-threo-methylphenidate exhibits the pharmacologically desired effects.[121][151] The erythrodiastereomers arepressor amines, a property not shared with the threo diastereomers. When the drug was first introduced it was sold as a 4:1 mixture of erythro:threo diastereomers, but it was later reformulated to contain only the threo diastereomers. "TMP" refers to a threo product that does not contain any erythro diastereomers, i.e. (±)-threo-methylphenidate. Since the threo isomers are energetically favored, it is easy toepimerize out any of the undesired erythro isomers. The drug that contains onlydextrorotatory methylphenidate is sometimes called d-TMP, although this name is only rarely used and it is much more commonly referred to asdexmethylphenidate, d-MPH, or d-threo-methylphenidate. A review on the synthesis ofenantiomerically pure (2R,2'R)-(+)-threo-methylphenidate hydrochloride has been published.[152]
The concentration of methylphenidate orritalinic acid, its majormetabolite, may be quantified in plasma, serum, or whole blood to monitor compliance in those receiving the drug therapeutically, to confirm the diagnosis of potential poisoning victims or to assist in the forensic investigation in a case of fatal overdosage.[155]
Methylphenidate was firstsynthesized in 1944 and was approved for medical use in the United States in 1955.[156][157][158] It was synthesized by chemistLeandro Panizzon and sold by Swiss companyCIBA (nowNovartis).[156] He named the drug after his wife Marguerite, nicknamed Rita, who used Ritalin to compensate for low blood pressure.[159][160] Methylphenidate was not reported to be a stimulant until 1954.[161][162] The drug was introduced for medical use in the United States in 1957.[163] Originally, it was marketed as amixture of tworacemates, 80% (±)-erythro and 20% (±)-threo, under the brand name Centedrin.[161] Subsequent studies of the racemates showed that the central stimulant activity is associated with the threo racemate and were focused on the separation and interconversion of the erythro isomer into the more active threo isomer.[161][164][165][166] The erythro isomer was eliminated, and now modern formulations of methyphenidate contain only the threo isomer in a 50:50 mixture ofd- andl-isomers.[161]
Methylphenidate was first used to allaybarbiturate-induced coma, narcolepsy and depression.[167] It was later used to treat memory deficits in the elderly.[168] Beginning in the 1960s, it was used to treat children withattention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) based on earlier work, starting with the studies by American psychiatristCharles Bradley[169] on the use of psychostimulant drugs, such asBenzedrine, with then-called "maladjusted children".[170] Production and prescription of methylphenidate rose significantly in the 1990s, especially in the United States, as the ADHD diagnosis came to be better understood and more generally accepted within the medical and mental health communities.[171]
It was estimated that the number of doses of methylphenidate used globally in 2013 increased by 66% compared to 2012.[174] In 2022, it was the 32nd most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 17million prescriptions.[30] It is available as ageneric medication.[3]
Indian "AddWize" branded immediate-release and extended-release formulations costing US$1.9 for a strip of immediate-release and US$2.9 for a strip of AddWize extended-release
Clockwise from top: Concerta 18 mg, Medikinet 5 mg, Methylphenidat TAD 10 mg, Ritalin 10 mg, Medikinet XL 40 mg
Methylphenidate is sold in the majority of countries worldwide.[175]: 8–9 Brand names for methylphenidate include Ritalin (in honor of Rita, the wife of the molecule discoverer Leandro Panizzon), Rilatine (in Belgium to avoid a conflict of commercial name with the RIT pharmaceutical company), Concerta,[79] Medikinet, Adaphen, Addwize, Inspiral, Methmild, Artige, Attenta, Cognil, Konsenidat, Equasym, Foquest,[176] Methylin, Penid, Phenida, Prohiper, and Tradea.[175]: 8–9
The dextrorotary enantiomer of methylphenidate, known as dexmethylphenidate, is sold as a generic and under the brand names Focalin and Attenade in both an immediate-release and an extended-release form. There is some evidence that dexmethylphenidate has better bioavailability and a longer duration of action than methylphenidate.[137]
In the Ritalin tablets series (Ritalin, Ritalin LA, Ritalin SR), thevolume of distribution was 2.65±1.11 L/kg for d-methylphenidate and 1.80±0.91 L/kg for l-methylphenidate subsequent to swallowing.[25] Following administration of Concerta, plasma concentrations of the l-isomer were approximately 1/40 the plasma concentrations of the d-isomer.[79]
Methylphenidate was originally available as an immediate-release racemic mixture formulation under the Novartis brand name Ritalin, although a variety of generics are available, some under other brand names. Generic brand names include Ritalina, Rilatine, Attenta, Medikinet, Metadate, Methylin, Penid, Tranquilyn, and Rubifen.[citation needed]
^US generics manufactured by County Line Pharmaceuticals and Abhai; CA generic manufactured byApotex.
Concerta tablets are marked with the letters "ALZA" and followed by: "18", "27", "36", or "54", relating to the dosage strength in milligrams. They useosmotic-controlled release oral delivery system. Approximately 22% of the dose is immediate-release,[187] and the remaining 78% of the dose is released over 10–12 hours post-ingestion, with an initial increase over the first 6–7 hours, and subsequent decline in the released drug.[188]
Ritalin LA capsules are marked with the letters "NVR" (abbrev.: Novartis) and followed by: "R20", "R30", or "R40", depending on the (mg) dosage strength. Ritalin LA[85] provides two standard doses – half the total dose being released immediately and the other half released four hours later. In total, each capsule is effective for about eight hours.
Metadate CD capsules contain two types of beads: 30% are immediate-release, and the other 70% are evenly sustained release.[189]
Medikinet Retard/CR/Adult/Modified Release tablets are an extended-release oral capsule form of methylphenidate. It delivers 50% of the dosage as IR MPH and the remaining 50% in 3–4 hours.[190][191]
Jornay PM is a delayed release formulation that is taken at bedtime. An outer polymer coating delays the initial release of the drug until 8 hours after administration, after which an inner coating regulates the rate of drug absorption. Peak plasma concentration occurs 14 hours following administration.[186] This formulation was motivated by the need for a pediatric ADHD medication that is active immediately after morning waking, as most long-acting formulations exhibit a delay between administration and absorption that leads to inadequate therapeutic effect in the early morning.[192]
A methylphenidateskin patch is sold under the brand name Daytrana in the United States. It was developed and marketed by Noven Pharmaceuticals and approved in the US in 2006.[78] It is also referred to as methylphenidatetransdermal system (MTS). It is approved as a once-daily treatment in children with ADHD aged 6–17 years. It is mainly prescribed as a second-line treatment when oral forms are not well tolerated, or if people have difficulty with compliance. Noven's original FDA submission indicated that it should be used for 12 hours. When the FDA rejected the submission, they requested evidence that a shorter time period was safe and effective; Noven provided such evidence, and it was approved for a 9-hour period.[193]
Orally administered methylphenidate is subject tofirst-pass metabolism, by which the levo-isomer is extensively metabolized. By circumventing this first-pass metabolism, the relative concentrations of ℓ-threo-methylphenidate are much higher with transdermal administration (50–60% of those ofdexmethylphenidate instead of about 14–27%).[194]
A 39 nanograms/mL peak serum concentration of methylphenidate has been found to occur between 7.5–10.5 hours after administration.[78] However, the onset to peak effect is 2 hours, and the clinical effects remain up to 2 hours after the patch has been removed. The absorption is increased when the transdermal patch is applied onto inflamed skin or skin that has been exposed to heat. The absorption lasts for approximately 9 hours after application (onto normal, unexposed to heat and uninflamed skin). 90% of the medication is excreted in the urine as metabolites and unchanged drug.[78]
When it was released in the United States, methylphenidate was available from CIBA in a parenteral form for use by medical professionals. It came in 10mL multiple-dose vials containing 100 mg methylphenidate HCl and 100 mg lactose in lyophilized (freeze-dried) form. It was also available as single-dose ampoules containing 20 mg methylphenidate HCl. Instructions were to reconstitute with 10mL sterile solvent (water). The indication was 10 to 20 mg (1.0mL from MDV's, up to one full single-use ampoule) to produce a focused, talkative state that could help certain patients break down the resistance to therapy. Parenteral methylphenidate was discontinued out of a concern for the actual benefit and of inducing a psychic dependence. This is not truth serum in the normal sense, as it does not impair the ability to control the flow of information like a barbiturate agent (Pentothal) or similar might.[citation needed]
"Schedule 8" controlled substance. Such drugs must be kept in a lockable safe until dispensed and possession without prescription is punishable by fines and imprisonment.
Schedule III of theControlled Drugs and Substances Act and is illegal to possess without a prescription, with unlawful possession punishable by up to three years imprisonment, or (viasummary conviction) by up to one-year imprisonment and/or fines of up to two thousand dollars. Unlawful possession for trafficking is punishable by up to ten years imprisonment, or (via summary conviction) by up to eighteen months imprisonment.
Covered by the "narcotics" schedule, prescription and distribution conditions are restricted, with hospital or city specialist-only (pediatrician for children, psychiatrist or neurologist for adults) prescription for the initial treatment and yearly consultations.[199]
Methylphenidate is aschedule X drug and is controlled by theDrugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. It is dispensed only by a physician's prescription. Legally, 2 grams of methylphenidate is classified as a small quantity, and 50 grams as a large or commercial quantity.
In New Zealand, methylphenidate is a "class B2 controlled substance". Unlawful possession is punishable by a six-month prison sentence and distribution by a 14-year sentence.
Russia
List I controlled psychotropic substance without recognized medical value. The Constant Committee for Drug Control of the Russian Ministry of Health has put methylphenidate and its derivatives on the National List of Narcotics, Psychotropic Substances and Their Precursors, and the Government banned methylphenidate for any use on 25 October 2014.
Controlled "Class B" substance. Possession without prescription carries a sentence up to 5 years or an unlimited fine, or both; supplying methylphenidate is 14 years or an unlimited fine, or both.
In December 2024, theCommittee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of theEuropean Medicines Agency adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a pediatric use marketing authorization for the medicinal product Tuzulby, intended for the treatment of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).[10] The applicant for this medicinal product is Neuraxpharm Pharmaceuticals S.L.[10] Tuzulby is a hybrid medicine of Ritalin, which has been authorized in the EU since January 1997.[10] Tuzulby contains the same active substance as Ritalin, but is available in a different formulation and strength, and is given once daily.[10] Methylphenidate was authorized for medical use in the European Union in February 2025.[10][11]
Methylphenidate has been the subject of controversy in relation to its use in the treatment of ADHD. The prescription of psychostimulant medication to children to reduce ADHD symptoms has been a major point of criticism.[207][need quotation to verify] The contention that methylphenidate acts as agateway drug has been discredited by multiple sources,[208] according to which abuse is statistically very low and "stimulant therapy in childhood does not increase the risk for subsequent drug and alcohol abuse disorders later in life".[209] A study found that ADHD medication was not associated with an increased risk of cigarette use, and in fact, stimulant treatments such as Ritalin seemed to lower this risk.[210] People treated with stimulants such as methylphenidate during childhood were less likely to havesubstance use disorders in adulthood.[211]
Among countries with the highest rates of use of methylphenidate medication is Iceland,[212] where research shows that the drug was the most commonly used substance amongpeople who inject drugs.[213] The study involved 108 people who inject drugs and 88% of them had injected methylphenidate within the last 30 days and for 63% of them, methylphenidate was the most preferred substance.
Treatment of ADHD by way of methylphenidate has led to legal actions, includingmalpractice suits regardinginformed consent, inadequate information on side effects, misdiagnosis, and coercive use of medications byschool systems.[214]
The word methylphenidate is aportmanteau of the chemical name,Methyl-2-phenyl-2-(piperidin-2-yl) acetate.
The name "Ritalin" derives from Marguerite "Rita" Panizzon, the wife of Leandro Panizzon, who first synthesized the drug in 1944. Rita was the first person to take methylphenidate and described its effects to her husband.[159][160]
Methylphenidate has been shown to reduce rates of hospitalization in patients withschizophrenia, although repeated, elevated doses can provokepsychosis.[220]
^The procognitive actions of psychostimulants are only associated with low doses ... cognition-enhancing effects of psychostimulants involve the preferential elevation of catecholamines in the PFC and the subsequent activation of norepinephrine α2 and dopamine D1 receptors. ... This differential modulation of PFC-dependent processes across dose appears to be associated with the differential involvement of noradrenergic α2 versus α1 receptors.[70]
^The results of this meta-analysis ... do confirm the reality of cognitive enhancing effects for normal healthy adults in general, while also indicating that these effects are modest in size.[71]
^Therapeutic (relatively low) doses of psychostimulants, such as methylphenidate and amphetamine, improve performance on working memory tasks both in normal subjects and those with ADHD ... [It] is now believed that dopamine and norepinephrine, but not serotonin, produce the beneficial effects of stimulants on working memory. At abused (relatively high) doses, stimulants can interfere with working memory and cognitive control ... stimulants act not only on working memory function, but also on general levels of arousal and, within the nucleus accumbens, improve the saliency of tasks. Thus, stimulants improve performance on effortful but tedious tasks ... through indirect stimulation of dopamine and norepinephrine receptors.[72]
^"Our findings suggest that methylphenidate may be associated with a number of serious adverse events as well as a large number of non-serious adverse events in children" "Concerning adverse events associated with the treatment, our systematic review of randomised clinical trials (RCTs) demonstrated no increase in serious adverse events, but a high proportion of participants suffered a range of non-serious adverse events."[100]
^The management of amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, and methylphenidate overdose is largely supportive, with a focus on interruption of the sympathomimetic syndrome with judicious use of benzodiazepines. In cases where agitation, delirium, and movement disorders are unresponsive to benzodiazepines, second-line therapies include antipsychotics such as ziprasidone or haloperidol, central alpha-adrenoreceptor agonists such as dexmedetomidine, or propofol. ... However, fatalities are rare with appropriate care.[102]
^Basal ganglia regions like the right globus pallidus, the right putamen, and the nucleus caudatus are structurally affected in children withADHD. These changes and alterations in limbic regions like ACC and amygdala are more pronounced in non-treated populations and seem to diminish over time from childhood to adulthood. Treatment seems to have positive effects on brain structure.[130]
^VMAT2 is the CNS vesicular transporter for not only the biogenic amines DA, NE, EPI, 5-HT, and HIS, but likely also for the trace amines TYR, PEA, and thyronamine (THYR) ... AMPH release of DA from synapses requires both an action at VMAT2 to release DA to the cytoplasm and a concerted release of DA from the cytoplasm via "reverse transport" through DAT.[135]
^Despite the challenges in determining synaptic vesicle pH, the proton gradient across the vesicle membrane is of fundamental importance for its function. Exposure of isolated catecholamine vesicles to protonophores collapses the pH gradient and rapidly redistributes transmitter from inside to outside the vesicle. ... Amphetamine and its derivatives like methamphetamine are weak base compounds that are the only widely used class of drugs known to elicit transmitter release by a non-exocytic mechanism. As substrates for both DAT and VMAT, amphetamines can be taken up to the cytosol and then sequestered in vesicles, where they act to collapse the vesicular pH gradient.[136]
^Stahl SM (April 2024). "Methylphenidate (D,L)".Prescriber's Guide: Stahl's Essential Psychopharmacology (8th ed.). Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. pp. 503–510.ISBN9781108228749.
^abcdef"Tuzulby EPAR".European Medicines Agency (EMA). 12 December 2024. Retrieved16 December 2024. Text was copied from this source which is copyright European Medicines Agency. Reproduction is authorized provided the source is acknowledged.
^ab"Tuzulby PI".Union Register of medicinal products. 3 March 2025. Retrieved12 March 2025.
^Bushe C, Day K, Reed V, Karlsdotter K, Berggren L, Pitcher A, et al. (May 2016). "A network meta-analysis of atomoxetine and osmotic release oral system methylphenidate in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adult patients".Journal of Psychopharmacology.30 (5):444–458.doi:10.1177/0269881116636105.PMID27005307.S2CID104938.
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