Prescription stimulants are widely used for attention issues, but they can also be misused. NIDA-funded scientists conducted the first study showing that the signaling transmitter glutamate increases in the brain after stimulant use in humans, which has a greater effect in females. The rise in brain glutamate predicts the extent and duration of the drug high and future drug seeking.
Image
![Measuring glutamate in the brain’s dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, an area important for emotion, cognition and behavior](/sites/default/files/styles/content_image_medium/public/2020-05/sh-whitelab-image.jpg?itok=u63cg7t8)
Image by WhiteLab, Brown University
Study:
- White, et al. Psychostimulant drug effects on glutamate, G1x, and creatine in the anterior cingulate cortex and subjective response in healthy humans. Neuropsychopharmacology. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-018-0027-7