QUICK FIX GENERATION Professor Pineda Cogs 174 3711

QUICK FIX GENERATION Professor Pineda Cogs 174 3/7/11 Alice Ahn Rebecca Schneider Jacqueline Tran Arfa Ahmed

QUICK FIX GENERATION: MISUSED PRESCRIPTION DRUGS Introduction § Quick Fix Generation § Prescription Drug Misuse § Study drug: Adderall § What does it do? § Short Term Effects § Long Term Effects § Conclusion: Is misuse worth the risk?

CULTURAL MODEL: QUICK FIX GENERATION Prioritize Immediate Results § Advertising companies target consumers with messages of ultimate convenience § Make the degree of convenience seem almost magical, fantastical Disregard Long Term Effects

THE QUICK FIX: “STUDY DRUGS” “Never seen a prescription drug that has an appeal to college-age students more than Adderall and Ritalin” 2010 Study at University of Kentucky: “casual” misuse of Adderall among students: § Juniors and Seniors: 50 -60% § Juniors/Seniors in Frat/Sorority: 80%

THE STUDENTS WHO MISUSE ADDERALL Students looking for a competitive edge; not informed of side effects “Don’t make students any smarter, but those who abuse them become psychologically dependent” § Positive Reinforcement § become a way of life for students who misuse these drugs

GETTING ADDERALL From 1995 -2006 § Increase in prescriptions: 100. 3 % § Increase in Consumption: 268. 9% • Easy Access § Fellow Students – Campus Black Market § Online § Craigslist § Prescription § Fake symptoms

SHORT TERM EFFECTS

WHAT IS ADDERALL USED FOR? Treat ADHD § Increases attention § Decrease impulsivity § Decrease hyperactivity Treat narcolepsy Part of a Total Treatment Program §With counseling/therapies

HOW DOES IT WORK? Schedule 2 controlled substance Adderall is available in IR and XR and is prescribed in a variety of doses Pill enters the bloodstream where the active ingredients stimulate the brain’s production of norepinephrine and dopamine

COMMON MISUSE OF ADDERALL Dieters College students for its effects on alertness, concentration, libido and hunger People who want to stay up to party

NEGATIVE SHORT TERM EFFECTS Headache Stomach ache Trouble sleeping Weight loss Dry mouth Decreased appetite Nervousness Nausea diarrhea Dizziness *do not drive or operate machinery while taking Adderall as it could impair your coordination/ judgment

SEVERE SIDE EFFECTS Heart related problems which can result in sudden death Stroke Increase heart pressure/ heart rate Grinding of teeth Changes in sexual ability or desire Increased Aggression Increased: § Depression § Hostility § Abnormal thoughts Emergence of Pre-existing Psychotic Symptoms § Ex: Inducing Bi-polar illness § Ex: Inducing Pre-Existing Psychosis

SIDE EFFECTS THAT REQUIRE IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION Shortness of breath Chest pain Fainting episode Severe headaches Pounding, fast or otherwise irregular heartbeat Jaw pain Pain on the left arm Seizures Swelling of the ankles or feet Extreme fatigue Blurred vision Weakness on one side of the body Slurred speech confusion § Severe allergic reactions

WHAT NOT TO COMBINE ADDERALL WITH High blood pressure Any form of heart disease – can lead to sudden death Worsening of insomnia A history of addiction to drugs or alcohol – can lead to addiction Tourette syndrome – can lead to sudden death Medications: § MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors)- have serious life-threatening effect § Antidepressant medications § Blood pressure medications § Blood thinners § Cold/ allergy medication that contain decongestants § Seizure medications § Stomach acid medications § Combining Adderall with other medication can alter, increase, or decrease the effect of the medication

LONG TERM EFFECTS

POSITIVE EFFECTS Increased § Focus, attention, motivation § Duration of concentration Elevated mood Enlarge parts of the brain associated with focus, motivation, and attention Weight loss

NEGATIVE LONG TERM EFFECTS Financially draining Increased aggression Poor study habits § Does not fix the real problem! Weight loss

NEGATIVE CONTINTUED Anorexia Stroke Heart attack Sudden death Hair loss (although rare) Increased blood pressure

NEGATIVE EFFECTS - NEUROLOGICAL Blocks long term synaptic depression in ventral Tegmental area Amphetamine psychosis § Hallucinations, delusions, paranoia Akathisia § Motor restlessness

ADDICTION

ADDICTION It IS a Schedule II controlled substance Tolerance - easy to go on higher dose § Keep up the competitive edge

AMPHETAMINE ADDICTION Dermatoses Insomnia Hyperactivity High Body Temperature Personality Changes Even PSYCHOSIS § Clinically indistinguishable from schizophrenia

WITHDRAWAL • After stopping high doses • extreme fatigue • mental depression • Anhedonia • Anxiety • Cravings • Nightmares

THE QUICK-FIX: ADDERALL Does it work? AKA “IVY LEAGUE CRACK”

THE OBSERVER (ENGLAND), 2009 “Male undergraduates at highly competitive schools are the most frequent student users of neuroenhancers, more likely to belong to a fraternity or a sorority, and to have a grade point average (GPA) of 3. 0 - ie satisfactory - or lower” “In other words, decent students at schools where to be a great student you have to give up a lot more partying than they're willing to give up. ” "pretty clear trend across the studies that say neuroenhancers will be less helpful for people who score above average"

NEWSWEEK ARTICLE - JANUARY 17, 2011 • “ same dopamine-boosting benefits by [belief] that you'll do well” • “psychological factors such as motivation and reward help with memory, but not higher-order processes such as abstract thought. ” • “positive mood--even the kind that comes from watching "Sneezing Panda" on You. Tube--can enhance creative problem -solving, finds a new paper in Psychological Science. reducing stress and the resulting cortisol, which attacks the myelin sheath that coats neurons and thus impairs signal transmission, allows underlying abilities to reach their full potential. • 1) exercise 2) meditation 3) complex and intricate video games provide brain with similar effects without drugs

THE QUICK-FIX: ADDERALL Does it work? • As a last minute study drug: • Yes, may improve your score if you normally score below average Yes, for memorization No, for abstract or complex thinking • • • Fix the real problem? • Time management, prioritization issues, developing discipline? • No

THE QUICK-FIX: ADDERALL Is it worth the risk?

MOST COMMON JUSTIFICATION FOR ADDERALL ABUSE “The stuff comes right from a doctor. So I don’t really stress over knowing a lot about it. It’s obviously not going to hurt you. . . They couldn’t give it to 50 millions kids if it did. ” “the problem is not only that they do not know, but that they are content with not knowing”

RECAP OF FDA’S WARNINGS Sudden death Serious cardiovascular adverse events Worsening mental illness Possible decreased growth Increased tics Headaches Nightmares Mood changes

FDA WARNINGS ON ADDERALL USE CONTINUED… Danger is exponentially increased if users have § Undiagnosed heart defects § High blood pressure § Heart or blood vessel disease § Overactive thyroid Majority of sudden deaths linked with pre existing heart problems

THE QUICK-FIX: ADDERALL Is it worth the risk? • Besides FDA’s warnings… • Scarce conclusive research has been performed on the long term effects of Adderall use on brain structure • No research has been conducted on the long term effects of Adderall use on the non ADHD brain • Adderall specifically acts on brain regions thought to be impaired in ADHD patients • Pre-Frontal Cortex: executive control • Anterior Cingulate Cortex: rational cognitive functioning

THE QUICK FIX GENERATION

A QUICK FIX TO THE GRAVE?

YOU DECIDE! If you care about your health, do the research; be a nerd!

REFERENCES http: //www. lexisnexis. com/lnacui 2 api/results/docview. do? doc. Link. Ind=true&risb=21_T 11365717566&format=GNBFI&sort=RE LEVANCE&start. Doc. No=1&results. Url. Key=29_T 11365717570&cisb=2 2_T 11365717569&tree. Max=true&tree. Width=0&csi=314237&doc. No =18 http: //www. lexisnexis. com/lnacui 2 api/results/docview. do? doc. Link. Ind=true&risb=21_T 11365717566&format=GNBFI&sort=RE LEVANCE&start. Doc. No=1&results. Url. Key=29_T 11365717570&cisb=2 2_T 11365717569&tree. Max=true&tree. Width=0&csi=6742&doc. No= 5 http: //www. lexisnexis. com/hottopics/lnacademic / http: //www. bing. com/health/article/goldstandard 1500082520/Amphetamine-Aspartate-Amphetamine-Sulfate. Dextroamphetamine-Saccharate-Dextroamphetamine-Sulfate-Oraltablet? q=adderall http: //www. npr. org/templates/story. php? story. Id= 100254163 http: //www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC 2681078 /

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REFERENCES Easton, N. (2007). "Differential effects of the D- and L- isomers of amphetamine on pharmacological MRI BOLD contrast in the rat" Psychopharmacology. 11 -29. De. Santis, A. (2010). Adderall is Definitely Not a Drug": Justification for the Illegal Use of ADHD Stimulants. Substance Use & Misuse, 45: 31 - 46. Connecticut, C. (1997). Stimulants. The brain's response to drugs. Connecticut Clearinghouse. "Amphetamine Blocks Long-Term Synaptic Depression in the Ventral Tegmental Area. "The Journal of Neuroscience . N. p. , n. d. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. <http: //www. jneurosci. org/ cgi "Dextroamphetamine and Amphetamine. " Adderall Effects. N. p. , n. d. Web. 1 Mar. 2011. http: //www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmedhealth/ PMH 0000166. "What are the Side Effects Adderall Is Known For? . " ADHD Remedies to Eliminate Symptoms of ADHD. N. p. , n. d. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. <http: //www. add-adhd-help-center. com/adderall_side_effects.