How does amphetamine work

List of Partners vendors. Stimulants are the most common type of medicine used to treat ADHD. They work by increasing the availability of certain chemicals in the brain, thus making the pathways in the brain work more effectively.

Our brains are made up of nerve cells called neurons , which are separated by tiny gaps called synapses. All brain and nervous system functions are based on how these neurons communicate across synapses. The neurons relay information to each other by sending chemical messengers or neurotransmitters across the synapses throughout the neural network. Neurotransmitters are produced within a neuron. The neuron releases the neurotransmitter and it travels into the synapse.

The neurotransmitter may then be accepted by the next neuron attaching at a site called a receptor, thereby transmitting information from one nerve cell to another throughout the brain. In order for these pathways to work effectively so that the message gets through, the neuron must produce and release enough of the neurotransmitter. The neurotransmitter must also stay in the synapse long enough for it to bind to the receptor site.

After the neurotransmitter is released, the excess portion is then reabsorbed by the neuron that produced it. What sometimes seems to happen in individuals with ADHD is the neurotransmitter is prematurely reabsorbed back into the neuron. When this occurs, that portion of the neural network can't relay messages in an adequate and timely way. Dopamine and norepinephrine play a key role in the areas of the brain responsible for regulating attention and executive function.

Stimulant medication reduces ADHD symptoms by increasing the dopamine levels in your brain. It does this by slowing down how much dopamine is reabsorbed back into the neural network. As a result, more neurotransmitter is held in the synapse between neurons long enough for it to properly bind to the receptor, helping messages within the brain be more effectively transmitted and received. This improves activity and communication in those parts of the brain which operate on dopamine and norepinephrine and signal for specific tasks.

Stimulant medications don't cure ADHD. Rather, they reduce symptoms while they are active in your system. Brain imaging studies have demonstrated that when you're on stimulant medication, there's increased metabolic activity in the prefrontal cortex, specific subcortical regions, and the cerebellum—all important centers for executive function.

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Drug and alcohol dependence. It appears that the main action of amphetamines is to increase the synaptic activity of the dopamine and norepinephrine neurotransmitter systems. Amphetamines can: cause the release of dopamine from axon terminals. All of these actions result in more dopamine in the synaptic cleft where it can act on receptors.

Many of the effects of amphetamines are similar to cocaine. Addiction to and withdrawal from amphetamines are both possible.

Amphetamine use also causes tolerance to its effects.