Download By: Chris Paiva

By: Chris Paiva
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Main transmitter for pleasure and attention.
First, tyrosine, then becomes L-dopa, then
finally Dopamine
Part of Catecholamine
family, which includes:
norepinephrine and
epinephrine.
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Natural reward circuits . Whelp….. Also, an
integral part of addiction.
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This is adderall…….. Literally.
It’s similar to catecholamines
As for comparison, this is crystal meth:
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Much wow. Such similarity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPZwmCPBAs
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What happens to the synapse?
Dopamine stays in synapse
Continues firing for long time
Causes attentiveness, a
sense of calm, and focus.
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According to a study conducted by the Brookhaven National
Laboratory in 2001, dopamine (as explained earlier) floods the
brain about an hour after the ingestion of cognitive enhancer.
According to researcher Nora Volkow "[...]by increasing the levels
of extracellular dopamine, you can activate these motivational
circuits and make the tasks that children are
performing seem much more exciting."
The results of the PET scans used in the research also seem to
indicate that this flood of dopamine suppresses the firing of
neurons not associated with dopamine and task and reward
pathways. Because the "random activation of other cells" can be
distracting, the shut-down of other activity restricts cognition to
the task at hand, whatever that may be.
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http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf/pr/2001/bnlpr011501a.html
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Yes, it allows the user to fully concentrate on
the task at hand.
Be careful though! Even though Adderall gives
the user focus, it does not mean that the user
will focus on what matters.
i.e. Researching for hours on a paper due
tomorrow, but never actually writing it.
Also, it kinda drains your creativity. Not in a
literal sense, but in the sense that the
creative part of the task is not necessary and
is forgotten or dropped.
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First, it depletes your Dopamine
neurotransmitters. Graph
Second, after the high comes
the crash.
Third, there is a whole
variety of side effects.
Fourth, its addictive. 
And etc
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Nervousness
Restlessness
Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
Uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body
Headache
Changes in sex drive or ability
Dry mouth
Stomach pain
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Constipation
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
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These side effects are usually
combined with genetic disorders
and/or allergic reactions:
Fast or pounding heartbeat
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Excessive tiredness
Slow or difficult speech
Dizziness or faintness
Weakness or numbness of an arm
or leg
Seizures
Motor tics or verbal tics
Believing things that are not true
Feeling unusually suspicious of
others
Hallucinating (seeing things or
hearing voices that do not exist)
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Mania (frenzied or abnormally
excited mood)
Aggressive or hostile behavior
Changes in vision or blurred vision
Fever
Blistering or peeling skin
Rash
Hives
Itching
Swelling of the eyes, face, tongue,
or throat
Difficulty breathing or swallowing
Hoarseness
Death
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Adderall is a Schedule II controlled substance, which
means there is a high risk for addiction or abuse.
There is a rising trend of college students abusing
Adderall and similar drugs, like Ritalin, to perform
better on tests and papers. A study by theSubstance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) found that full-time college students were
twice as likely as non-students to have used Adderall
nonmedically. Affordable at roughly $6-$8 street
value, it is easy for college students to get their
hands on Adderall illegally.
http://www.samhsa.gov/data/2k9/adderall/adderall.
htm
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Given the effectiveness of Adderall as a “study
drug,” the stimulant is becoming increasingly
common in collegiate lifestyles. The National
Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reports
that 15% of college students have admitted to
using some form of psychotherapeutic drugs for
non-medical use. The survey found that college
students most likely to abuse Adderall were
male, Caucasian, fraternity and sorority
members, and students with lower grade point
averages.
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Over time, your body adjusts to the fact that
Adderall becomes a part of your routine.
When losing that routine; the body panics and
does not know how to support itself with
enough dopamine to focus.
That’s why people complain of a brain
“fogginess” when coming down from a high,
or cutting off after consistent use of Adderall.
Not only physical dependence, but
psychological dependence as well.
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One person said “I don’t think I’m
addicted…..I just can’t imagine not taking it ”
“I attend a major university….I take two pills
when I have a ton of work to do….Without
Adderall I failed one class….I began to take
Adderall again and saw a huge improvement”
“Its just a small price to pay for the ‘A’”.
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Since Adderall is an amphetamine; abuse of
this drug leads increased tolerance.
To feel the same high, one must take an
increased dose.
Overtime, this cycle repeats itself endlessly
till the user either quits using Adderall, or
dies.
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Studies have shown that misuse of Adderall and long-term use can
permanently alter and damage the brain . Since the amphetamines are
able to prevent the reuptake of catecholamines such as dopamine back
into the presynaptic neuron, dopamine is able to remain in the synapse
for some time and lead to increased activation of the receptors on the
postsynaptic neuron. However, reuptake is necessary to metabolize
dopamine back into its components so that they can be recycled into
making dopamine again. Without this reuptake, the dopamine gets
washed away, thereby eliminating its components from the neurons and
lowering the concentration of this catecholamine in the neural system
[15]. Thus, Adderall "tricks the brain that it doesn't need to make
dopamine, and dopamine is the only chemical in the brain that once it is
damaged, you never get it back," said Fallon Schultz, a licensed clinical
social worker from New Jersey. Since dopamine is needed to control
emotions and prevent aggression, "that results in severe depressions
and mood dysregulation," which has caused high rates of aggression,
psychosis, and suicide for many long-term users of Adderall, as shown
by studies at UCLA.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/adderall-psychosissuicide-college-students-abuse-studydrug/story?id=12066619&singlePage=true#.TwKv-WDWZ97
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Studies show that brains afflicted with ADHD malfunction
in the frontal cortex. The frontal cortex is involved with
primarily executive functions like reasoning, planning,
focusing, and problem solving. It is in this part of the brain
that dopamine, an important neurotransmitter, has been
found to be deficient. Without proper concentrations of
dopamine in the frontal cortex, these executive functions
suffer.
To treat this disorder, prescription drugs like Adderall may
be prescribed to patients. These amphetamines are
thought to treat ADHD by blocking the reuptake
of dopamine from the neural synapses and increasing the
uptake into subsequent neurons. The increased dopamine
flow in the frontal cortex then allows the brain to carry on
its executive functions as a normal brain would, thus
counteracting the effects of ADHD.
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Does the use of Adderall by those not
diagnosed with ADHD pose the threat of an
addiction? Is an addiction to a drug that
seems to make you more efficient
a bad thing?
Some say yes, some say no.
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It makes a better you.
Its moving forward in evolution.
Everyone else is doing it. You need to do it as
well to stay competitive in this society.
The end result justifies the means.
In moderation, there are no severe, harmful
side effects.
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Its an unfair advantage to those who are
perfectly healthy and still use the drug to get
ahead.
Steroids in sports are illegal, why aren’t these
brain steroids illegal?
The human brain should not be dependent on
outside resources like adderall.
It gives an advantage to those who have
money and are willing to break the law.
Unequal opportunity.
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There was one part of the reading that was
really interesting.
British Medical Association wrote a paper in
2007 stating that these “neuroenhancers”
leveled the playing field since studies show
that “neurohancers are less helpful for those
who score above average.”
Could Adderall level the playing field for
those who don’t need it?
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Do the ends really justify the means?
Is cognitive enhancers and cosmetic
neurology a step forward?
Or is it a crutch that makes people dependent
on enhancers for life?
Neuroenhancers don’t offer freedom. Rather,
they facilitate a pinched, unromantic,
grindingly efficient form of productivity.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBOsUEFG
C7E
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Yay!
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By Chris Paiva
Office Hours: 1-2pm at Middle of Muir (MOM)
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