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Methylphenidate is a medication prescribed for individuals (usually children)

who have attention-deficit hyperactivity

disorder (ADHD), which consists of a

persistent pattern of abnormally high 

levels of activity, impulsivity, and/or 

inattention that is more frequently displayed and more severe than is typically

observed in individuals with comparable

levels of development. The pattern of

behavior usually arises between the ages

of 3 and 5, and is diagnosed during

the elementary school years due to the

child’s excessive locomotor activity, poor

attention, and/or impulsive behavior.

Most symptoms improve during adolescence or adulthood, but the disorder can

persist or present in adults. It has been

estimated that 3–7 percent of school-age

children have ADHD. Methylphenidate

also is occasionally prescribed for 

treating narcolepsy.

Health Effects ————

Methylphenidate is a central nervous

system (CNS) stimulant. It has effects

similar to, but more potent than, caffeine

and less potent than amphetamines. It

has a notably calming and “focusing”

effect on those with ADHD, particularly

children.

Recent research at Brookhaven National

Laboratory may begin to explain how

methylphenidate helps people with

ADHD. The researchers used positron

emission tomography (PET—a noninvasive brain scan) to confirm that administering normal therapeutic doses of

methylphenidate to healthy, adult men

increased their dopamine levels. The

researchers speculate that methylphenidate

amplifies the release of dopamine, a

neurotransmitter, thereby improving

attention and focus in individuals who

have dopamine signals that are weak.1

Methylphenidate can be a valuable

medicine, for adults as well as children

with ADHD.2, 3, 4 Treatment of ADHD 

with stimulants such as Ritalin and psychotherapy help to improve the abnormal behaviors of ADHD, as well as the

self-esteem, cognition, and social and

family function of the patient.2 Research

shows that individuals with ADHD do

not become addicted to stimulant medications when taken in the form and

dosage prescribed by doctors. In fact, it

has been reported that stimulant therapy

in childhood is associated with a reduction in the risk for subsequent drug and

alcohol abuse disorders.5, 6 Also, studies

have found that individuals with ADHD

Methylphenidate (Ritalin)
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who have been treated with stimulants

such as methylphenidate are significantly

less likely than those who do not receive

treatment to abuse drugs and alcohol

when they are older.7

Because of its stimulant properties, however, in recent years there have been

reports of methylphenidate abuse by

people for whom it is not prescribed. 

It is abused for its stimulant effects:

appetite suppression, wakefulness,

increased focus/attentiveness, and

euphoria. Addiction to methylphenidate

seems to occur when it induces rapid

increases of dopamine in the brain. 

In contrast, the therapeutic effect is

achieved by slow and steady increases

of dopamine, which are similar to the

natural production by the brain. The

doses prescribed by physicians start low

and increase slowly until a therapeutic

effect is reached. That way, the risk of

addiction is very small.8

When abused, the tablets are either

taken orally or crushed and snorted.

Some abusers dissolve the tablets in

water and inject the mixture; complications can arise from this because insoluble fillers in the tablets can block small

blood vessels.

Trends in Ritalin Use ——

Monitoring the Future (MTF)*

Survey 

Each year, MTF assesses the extent of

drug use among adolescents and young

adults nationwide. MTF 2005 data on

annual** use indicate that 2.4 percent

of 8th-graders used Ritalin, as did 3.4

percent of 10th-graders and 4.4 percent

of 12th-graders.

National Survey on Drug Use and

Health (NSDUH)***

According to the 2004 NSDUH, there

was a decline in lifetime use among

those aged 12 to 17, from 2.2 percent

in 2003 to 1.8 percent in 2004. 

Other Studies ————

ADHD has been more frequently 

reported in boys than in girls; however,

research published in 2002 noted that

the frequency among girls had

increased.9

A large survey at a public university

showed that 3 percent of the students

had used methylphenidate during the

past year.

10

Other Information

Sources ————

Because stimulant medicines such as

methylphenidate do have potential for

abuse, the U.S. Drug Enforcement

Administration (DEA) has placed stringent, Schedule II controls on their manufacture, distribution, and prescription.

For example, DEA requires special

licenses for these activities, and prescription refills are not allowed. The DEA 
May 2006 Page 3 of 4

Web site is www.usdoj.gov/dea. States

may impose further regulations, such as

limiting the number of dosage units per

prescription.

Treatment ————

For more information on treating ADHD,

visit the Web site for the National

Institute of Mental Health, National

Institutes of Health, at

www.nimh.nih.gov.

* These data are from the 2005 Monitoring the Future survey, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse,

National Institutes of Health, DHHS, and conducted annually by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social

Research. The survey has tracked 12th-graders’ illicit drug use and related attitudes since 1975; in 1991, 8th- and

10th-graders were added to the study. The latest data are online at www.drugabuse.gov.

** “Lifetime” refers to use at least once during a respondent’s lifetime. “Annual” refers to use at least once during the

year preceding an individual’s response to the survey. “30-day” refers to use at least once during the 30 days preceding an individual’s response to the survey.

*** NSDUH (formerly known as the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse) is an annual survey of Americans

age 12 and older conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Copies of the latest

survey are available at www.samhsa.gov and from the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at

800-729-6686.

References

1 Volkow, N.D., Fowler, J.S., Wang, G., Ding, Y., and Gatley, S.J. (2002). Mechanism of action of methylphenidate:

insights from PET imaging studies. J. Atten. Disord., 6 Suppl. 1, S31–S43.

2 Konrad, K., Gunther, T., Hanisch, C., and Herpertz-Dahlmann, B. (2004). Differential Effects of Methylphenidate on

Attentional Functions in Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry,

43, 191–198.

3 Faraone, S.V., Spencer, T., Aleardi, M., Pagano, C., and Biederman, J. (2004). Meta-analysis of the efficacy of

methylphenidate for treating adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J. Clin. Psychopharmacology, 24, 24–29.

4 Kutcher, S., Aman, M., Brooks, S.J., Buitelaar, J., van Daalen, E., Fegert, J., et al. (2004). International consensus

statement on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and disruptive behaviour disorders (DBDs): Clinical implications and treatment practice suggestions. Eur. Neuropsychopharmacol., 14, 11–28.

5 Biederman, J. (2003). Pharmacotherapy for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) decreases the risk for

substance abuse: findings from a longitudinal follow-up of youths with and without ADHD. J. Clin. Psychiatry, 64

Suppl. 11, 3–8.

6 Wilens, T.E., Faraone, S.V., Biederman, J., and Gunawardene, S. (2003). Does stimulant therapy of attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder beget later substance abuse? A meta-analytic review of the literature. Pediatrics, 111,

179–185.
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National Institutes of Health – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

This material may be used or reproduced without permission from NIDA. Citation of the source is appreciated.

7 Mannuzza, S., Klein, R.G., and Moulton, J.L., III (2003). Does stimulant treatment place children at risk for adult

substance abuse? A controlled, prospective follow-up study. J. Child Adolesc. Psychopharmacol., 13, 273–282.

8 Volkow, N.D. and Swanson, J.M. (2003). Variables that affect the clinical use and abuse of methylphenidate in the

treatment of ADHD. Am. J. Psychiatry, 160, 1909–1918.

9 Robison, L.M., Skaer, T.L., Sclar, D.A., and Galin, R.S. (2002). Is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder increasing

among girls in the US? Trends in diagnosis and the prescribing of stimulants. CNS Drugs, 16, 129–137.

10 Teter, C.J., McCabe, S.E., Boyd, C.J., and Guthrie, S.K. (2003). Illicit methylphenidate use in an undergraduate student sample: prevalence and risk factors. Pharmacotherapy, 23, 609–617.