Methylphenidate Exposure Induces Dopamine Neuron Loss in Mice
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Re: Methylphenidate Exposure Induces Dopamine Neuron Loss in Mice
#2Flagged for exaggerated headline, only demonstrated in mice now, which react differently to many stimulants.
Re: Methylphenidate Exposure Induces Dopamine Neuron Loss in Mice
#3So this article seems to point to a neurodegenerative effect of Methylphenidate. I would caution against drawing conclusions from this study as of yet. MP has been used for decades and there does not seem to be a clinically evident effect of this sort.
In order to derive clinical recommendations (like "stop taking ritalin") the potential damage has to be higher than that of all the "side effects" of ADHD, for example violence, depression and social problems. Which currently does not seem to be the case...
Re: Methylphenidate Exposure Induces Dopamine Neuron Loss in Mice
#4Are there any similar types of research being done for Modafinil? I've recently been prescribed a "therapeutic" dose of Ritalin (I reacted severely to the lowest regular dose of Concerta) but have not started taking it. I'm wondering if this is as bad as it sounds as my technical reading comprehension skills are not that astute.
I was using modafinil before with some success. The only problem was that my sleep patterns were all over the map and getting regular good sleep was becoming difficult.
Re: Methylphenidate Exposure Induces Dopamine Neuron Loss in Mice
#5So this article seems to point to a neurodegenerative effect of Methylphenidate. I would caution against drawing conclusions from this study as of yet. MP has been used for decades and there does not seem to be a clinically evident effect of this sort. In order to derive clinical recommendations (like "stop taking ritalin") the potential damage has to be higher than that of all the "side effects" of ADHD, for example…
"Nevertheless, this work supports studies [51], [57], [58], [59] that demonstrate that drugs shown to increase the levels of dopamine in the synaptic cleft can contribute to degenerative changes in the basal ganglia."
Re: Methylphenidate Exposure Induces Dopamine Neuron Loss in Mice
#6A quick read of the abstract indicates that loss of neurons only occurred in mice at the higher dose (10 mg/kg).
Typical doses of Ritalin in kids (6+ years old) is 5-10 mg per day in two doses.[1] 6 year old weigh about 20 kg (50th percentile) so each dose is ~0.25 mg/kg (5/20). Even if you double the dose, it's 0.50 mg/kg, below the 1 mg/kg where the study saw no neuron loss.
To get to 10 mg/kg, kids would have to take 200 mg in a single dose. I'm pretty sure the side effects would be utterly intolerable even at half of that dose.
It's probably worth following up, but I wouldn't be worried about this finding.
[1] http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/methylphenidate-...
Re: Methylphenidate Exposure Induces Dopamine Neuron Loss in Mice
#7A quick read of the abstract indicates that loss of neurons only occurred in mice at the higher dose (10 mg/kg). Typical doses of Ritalin in kids (6+ years old) is 5-10 mg per day in two doses.[1] 6 year old weigh about 20 kg (50th percentile) so each dose is ~0.25 mg/kg (5/20). Even if you double the dose, it's 0.50 mg/kg, below the 1 mg/kg where the study saw no neuron loss. To get to 10 mg/kg, kids would have to t…
The problem is that children have developing brains, and this study doesn't take that into account.
Could the drug "stunt" neurological development over the extent of a childhood? Even in low dosages?
I wish we wouldn't medicate so much, especially in young children!
Re: Methylphenidate Exposure Induces Dopamine Neuron Loss in Mice
#8So this article seems to point to a neurodegenerative effect of Methylphenidate. I would caution against drawing conclusions from this study as of yet. MP has been used for decades and there does not seem to be a clinically evident effect of this sort. In order to derive clinical recommendations (like "stop taking ritalin") the potential damage has to be higher than that of all the "side effects" of ADHD, for example…
This type of degenerative side effect though might especially express itself later in life: making you much more likely to develop say dementia earlier than a normal human.
It's not like it would be an immediate side effect.
Often brain damage chronically over time is not immediately visible.
Re: Methylphenidate Exposure Induces Dopamine Neuron Loss in Mice
#9So this article seems to point to a neurodegenerative effect of Methylphenidate. I would caution against drawing conclusions from this study as of yet. MP has been used for decades and there does not seem to be a clinically evident effect of this sort. In order to derive clinical recommendations (like "stop taking ritalin") the potential damage has to be higher than that of all the "side effects" of ADHD, for example…
Traditional Parkinson's symptoms (problems w/ voluntary movement) only show up after 80-90% of dopaminergic neurons are gone. That's a whole lot of dead cells.
Symptoms of pre-Parkinsonian dopaminergic neuron loss are (anhedonia, depression, psychiatric weirdness without movement disorder) are just beginning to be described, and it's very likely that stimulant use will be shown to cause pre-Parkinsonian symptoms in human populations once we know what to look for, and after somebody decides to spend tons of time and money investigating it.
Maybe the appropriate clinical recommendation is to exercise caution with DAT ligands, and to use them as minimally as possible?
Re: Methylphenidate Exposure Induces Dopamine Neuron Loss in Mice
#10A quick read of the abstract indicates that loss of neurons only occurred in mice at the higher dose (10 mg/kg). Typical doses of Ritalin in kids (6+ years old) is 5-10 mg per day in two doses.[1] 6 year old weigh about 20 kg (50th percentile) so each dose is ~0.25 mg/kg (5/20). Even if you double the dose, it's 0.50 mg/kg, below the 1 mg/kg where the study saw no neuron loss. To get to 10 mg/kg, kids would have to t…
I think these results are fairly good. 'Just' some neuron loss at such doses. A lot of drugs can kill you if you take 20 times the recommended dose!