I found this piece quite fascinating. People with ADHD often have a reduced ability to generate dopamine and norepinephrine in particular brain zones. Stimulants work by boosting dopamine levels within the TAAR1 receptor’s synaptic cleft, at least as I understand it. I’m no professional, so apologies for any errors! Does anyone have any perspectives on this?
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It’s quite intriguing that long-term stimulant therapy can actually improve the makeup of the prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia in ADHD patients. This aligns well with how effective we already know these treatments to be.
Aside from Adderall—which I’m too intimidated to ever try—what other medications are covered by this? Does it apply to Vyvanse?
Hasn’t this been known for a while?
The term “positive brain structure” seems a bit fishy. Since the brain is highly adaptive, labeling changes as strictly positive or negative is difficult. Simply discussing neurotransmitter levels is too vague to be practical. We haven’t defined an “ideal brain” that everyone should strive for, nor is there a single “superior” brain type for every situation.