Reviews and Overviews Variables That Affect the Clinical Use and Abuse of Methylphenidate in the Treatment of ADHD

common treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), increases extracellufar dopamine in the brain, which is associated with its reinforcing as well as its therapeutic effects. The authors evaluated variables that distinguish these two properties. Method: The brain imaging and clinical literatures were analyzed to identify vari-ables that contribute to the abuse liability as well as to the clinical efficacy of methyl-phenidate. Results: Four variables were identified. 1) Dose-there is a threshold for methyl-phenidate-induced dopamine increase