Stimulant Medications Reshape Brain Arousal and Motivation in ADHD

Large brain imaging studies show stimulant drugs improve wakefulness and task drive rather than directly changing attention circuits

Topline

A major open-access study finds that stimulant medications like methylphenidate act mainly by increasing arousal and reward-related brain activity, helping children with ADHD stay alert and persist on tasks, rather than directly improving attention networks.

Study Details

Stimulant medications are widely prescribed for ADHD and are often described …