ADHD stimulants appear to work less by sharpening focus and more by waking up the brain. Brain scans revealed that these medications activate reward and alertness systems, helping children stay interested in tasks they would normally avoid. The drugs even reversed brain patterns linked to sleep deprivation. Researchers say this could complicate ADHD diagnoses if poor sleep is the real underlying problem.

ADHD stimulants appear to work less by sharpening focus and more by waking up the brain. Brain scans revealed that these medications activate reward and alertness systems, helping children stay interested in tasks they would normally avoid. The drugs even reversed brain patterns linked to sleep deprivation. Researchers say this could complicate ADHD diagnoses if poor sleep is the real underlying problem.

edit here is another article

https://medicine.washu.edu/news/stimulant-adhd-medications-work-differently-than-thought/

  • Atherel@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    251·
    14 hours ago

    What exactly is new here?

    Their findings suggest that these medications primarily affect brain systems involved in reward and wakefulness rather than the networks traditionally linked to attention.

    I’m in my 40s and got diagnosed 2 years ago. One of the first things I learned is that ADHD has to do with dopamine deficit and that the stimulants either slow down the reduction of available dopamine or increase it’s release. And dopamine is a neurotransmitter directly connected with the reward center. And that’s one of the reason our attention changes focus all the time, because we’re looking for something new as the current task doesn’t release dopamine anymore. Yaddayadda you know the drill.

    Plus I sleep better when taking meds so I don’t think stimulants work the same way for ADHDers as they do for neurotypicals.

    Or is there something I completely missed?

    • Apytele@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      5·
      9 hours ago

      Yeah this has been a known thing in psychiatry for years. My coworkers literally lol when I shake my coffee cup and announce that I don’t have enough dopamine to continue charting.