Andrew Huberman· PhD
Well, Ritalin also called methylphenidate is very similar to amphetamine speed, or what's typically call speed in the street drug nomenclature.
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Well, Ritalin also called methylphenidate is very similar to amphetamine speed, or what's typically call speed in the street drug nomenclature.
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These compounds mainly increase dopaminergic transmission in the brain, also adrenaline, epinephrine in the brain. So they're more or less stimulants. They look a lot like, at least chemically, they look a lot like cocaine and amphetamine, although they're not quite cocaine and amphetamine.
Now I covered that landscape in intense detail on the episode on ADHD and focus. And just to summarize, there is of course, Adderall Ritalin Vyvanse, Modafinil Armodafinil a number of different compounds, all of which generally increase dopamine transmission in the brain, so increasing dopamine, and all of which generally increase epinephrine, adrenaline transmission in the brain and body.
Now, some of you probably realize this that Adderall is amphetamine, but I'm guessing that there are a good number of you out there, perhaps even parents and kids, that don't realize that these drugs like cocaine and amphetamine, methamphetamine, which are incredibly dangerous and incredibly habit forming and have high potential for abuse. Well, the pharmaceutical versions of those are exactly what are used to treat ADHD. Now, they're not exactly like cocaine or methamphetamine, but they are structurally and chemically very similar. And their net effect in the brain and body is essentially the same, which is to increase dopamine primarily, but also to increase levels of a neuromodulator called epinephrine or norepinephrine, also called noradrenaline and adrenaline.