Question:
Why do amphetamines commonly have opposite effects in children
and adults? I have always wondered since learning that Ritalin which is
commonly given to children with a hyperactivity or attention deficit
disorder acts as a stimulant in people after adolescence. Just curious
if anyone knew why...
Thanks.
Replies:
My understanding of the affects of Ritalin is that children who
are hyperactive are exhibiting a behavior that is caused by their brain
working too slow. They cannot concentrate because the world is simply
moving too fast for them to keep up. Ritalin allows their synapses to
fire more quickly, and they can then "keep up" with their environment,
and the behavior problem ceases. I understand that many children grow out
of the hyperactivity problem, and it may be that the brain eventually is
able to function quickly enough to keep up. In this case, an amphetamine
would make a now normal brain work too fast and the behavior would again
appear hyperactive. I cannot remember where I read all of this, and if I
have some facts wrong, I hope that someone will please correct me.
NEWTON is an electronic community for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12 Educators, sponsored and operated by Argonne National Laboratory's Educational Programs, Andrew Skipor, Ph.D., Head of Educational Programs.
