Prescription stimulants are widely used for attention issues, but they can also be misused. NIDA-funded scientists conducted the first study showing that the signaling transmitter glutamate increases in the brain after stimulant use in humans, which has a greater effect in females. The rise in brain glutamate predicts the extent and duration of the drug high and future drug seeking.
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Image by WhiteLab, Brown University
Study:
- White, et al. Psychostimulant drug effects on glutamate, G1x, and creatine in the anterior cingulate cortex and subjective response in healthy humans. Neuropsychopharmacology. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-018-0027-7