Many form the impression that drugs for ADHD can enhance their attention and cognitive abilities, even if they don’t have the disorder. Many universities have grappled with the question of how to discourage students from using these “smart drugs” to improve performance. But do stimulant medications really help?
Unlike Bradley Cooper in the film “Limitless”, smart drugs actually do not appear to boost performance or make people smarter. They may even be harmful for those without ADHD.
Researchers in Australia gave participants a problem solving task. They varied the degree to which participants received multiple types of stimulant drugs or placebo before solving it. They actually found that performance suffered after taking ADHD medications vs placebo.
This may mean that as clinicians we provide in depth assessment to rule out ADHD or before providing prescriber referrals. Attentional difficulties often occur due to other difficulties that are not ADHD. This is especially the case for depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, bipolar disorders, and other mental health difficulties.
In addition to ruling out disorders that impact focus, it is also helpful to assess whether individuals experienced attentional difficulties and/or hyperactivity in childhood. This is because ADHD does not suddenly arise in adulthood without having been present all along.
In-depth assessment also helps clinicians play a role in counteracting the widespread overdiagnosis of ADHD. Even when individuals report they respond well to stimulants, it does not guarantee they experience ADHD. Neuropsychologists typically recommend not using response to medication as confirmation of a diagnosis.
When ADHD is still moderately to strongly suspected, referral to a neuropsychologist can be helpful. Neuropsychological assessment can diligently rule out where attentional difficulties stem from, which is usually much more helpful for clients in the end.
It is tempting for people to want to understand attentional problems and to seek performance enhancement in spite of them. It appears ADHD medications actually go against this goal. Luckily there are methods for us to help understand client attentional difficulties and provide helpful therapist resources.
