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Ritalin boosts learning speed | A new American study has found that Ritalin boosts learning by increasing brain plasticity. Scientists conducted the research on rats to demonstrate,
for the first time, that Ritalin boosts the ability to focus on tasks and enhances
the speed of learning by increasing the activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine
inside the brain. The study, appearing online in Nature Neuroscience, also showed
that one type of dopamine receptor aids the ability to focus, and another type
improves the learning itself. Antonello Bonci, co-senior author of the paper and
professor of neurology at UCSF, said: "Since we now know that Ritalin improves
behavior through two specific types of neurotransmitter receptors, the finding
could help in the development of better targeted drugs, with fewer side effects,
to increase focus and learning." Bonci is also the principal investigator at the
Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center, which is affiliated with the UCSF Department
of Neurology. Bonci and his team showed that Ritalin's therapeutic action takes
place in a brain region called the amygdala, an almond-shaped cluster of neurons
known to be critical for learning and emotional memory. Patricia Janak, co-senior
author on the paper, said: "We found that a dopamine receptor, known as the D2
receptor, controls the ability to stay focused on a task - the well-known benefit
of Ritalin. "But we also discovered that another dopamine receptor, D1, underlies
learning efficiency." Janak is a principal investigator at the Gallo Center and
a UCSF associate professor of neurology. Lead author of the paper is Kay M. Tye,
PhD, a postdoctoral scientist at the Gallo Center when the research was carried
out. The research analysed the ability of rats to learn that they could get a
sugar water reward when they received a signal: a flash of light and a sound.
The scientists compared the behaviour of animals receiving Ritalin with those
that did not receive it, and found those receiving Ritalin learned much better.
But they also discovered that if they blocked the dopamine D1 receptors with drugs,
Ritalin was unable to enhance learning. And if they blocked D2 receptors, Ritalin
failed to improve focus. The experiments established the distinct role of each
of the dopamine receptors in enabling Ritalin to enhance cognitive performance.
Moreover, animals that performed better after Ritalin treatment showed enhanced
synaptic plasticity in the amygdala. Enhanced plasticity is essentially increased
efficiency of neural transmission. The researchers confirmed this by measuring
electrical activity in neurons in the amygdala after Ritalin treatment. The research
confirmed that learning and focus improved when Ritalin was administered to animals
in doses comparable to those used therapeutically in children. Kay Tye said: "Although
Ritalin is so frequently prescribed, it induces many brain changes, making it
difficult to identify which of those changes improve learning." "By identifying
the brain mechanisms underlying Ritalin's behavioral enhancements, we can better
understand the action of Ritalin as well as the properties governing brain plasticity." |
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