Ritalin im Straßenverkehr: ADHS-Medikament Methylphenidat verbessert Fahrleistung | Das Medikament reduzierte das Spurwechseln und die Geschwindigkeitsschwankungen, während die Augenbewegungen nahezu unbeeinträchtigt blieben.
Ritalin on the road: ADHD drug methylphenidate improves driving performance
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From the article: A recent study conducted in Australia found that a 10 mg dose of methylphenidate improved participants’ driving performance in a simulated driving task. The medication reduced lane weaving and speed variation, while eye movements remained almost unaffected. The research was [published](https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811241286715) in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, which adversely impacts daily functioning. It is most often diagnosed at the start of school, as these symptoms are considered disruptive in the classroom context. ADHD symptoms can persist into adulthood, leading to detrimental consequences in various areas of life.
In adulthood, ADHD symptoms can significantly impair driving performance. Individuals with ADHD may struggle to sustain attention, manage distractions, and inhibit inappropriate responses. This can lead to difficulties such as missing road signs, reacting slowly to hazards, or engaging in impulsive driving behaviors like speeding or risky overtaking.
One medication widely used to treat ADHD is methylphenidate. It works by increasing levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, thereby enhancing focus, attention, and impulse control. While generally effective, methylphenidate can cause side effects such as insomnia, decreased appetite, and increased heart rate.
Study author Blair Aitken and his colleagues sought to investigate the acute effects of a 10 mg dose of methylphenidate on driving performance while simultaneously monitoring eye movements in a simulated driving environment. A dose of 10 mg is generally considered low and corresponds to the initial dosage typically prescribed at the beginning of therapy. This low dose was deemed appropriate for studying the effects on individuals with minimal prior exposure to the drug.
The study involved 25 healthy adults, 16 of whom were male. Participants ranged in age from 23 to 47 years. Eligibility criteria included holding a valid driver’s license, having at least 4,000 kilometers of driving experience per year, and being in good general health.
Wow Speed makes me more focused? What an suprised.
Truckers taking speed is not a new thing.
Uppers have been known to increase performance and output for a long time.
As someone with ADHD, I’ve known this for a while.
The difference in my driving on / off my meds is so huge that it literally convinced my mother that ADHD is real.
Yeah, that’s why it’s considered doping in eSports
Anyone with adhd could tell you this. I’ve had a firm rule for years to never drive on days I’m unmedicated. I’m an increased risk on the road, period. But when I’m on my adderall meds I’m just fine on the road
Anecdotally, my life changed when I started getting treated for ADHD, though for me it’s non-stims. I now own probably the most fun car of my life, and I drive it the most responsibly.
I used to be an absolute heathen on the road, with the speeding and dangerous overtaking being the norm. Now I just vibe at the speed limit with my smart cruise control on. Wishing I could show all the others now blowing past me, how comfortable and relaxing life can be.
“Participants did not report perceiving any subjective differences between the sessions with methylphenidate and placebo.“
I suppose that’s because they were tasked with doing something. But when I was prescribed 5mg twice a day, I’d taken 10mg to see how it’d affect me, and there was absolutely a subjective difference between nothing, 5mg and 10mg. That’s kind one of the downside of these stimulants is that they can cause you to miss the forest for the trees sometimes when that focus is really intense. For me my sense of well being is significantly increased. My thoughts are less jumbled and I’m more coherent in my speech. The military has been using go pills for since WWII. Dexedrine, Ritalin, caffeine, and Modafinil. They’ve known of these types of things for a while now.
Also, I’ve noticed that with some meds that my driving ability was hindered. My mind would not be focused on what I’m doing or the road. Honestly SSRIs, and when I had an augmenter with one, I think it was liothyronine, that was the worst. In fact that is the specific reason why I discontinued it. My attention while driving was significantly affected with that combo.
Weed actually makes me drive straight too.
I think this, ritalin (and adderall?) improving focus, has been known for a long time.
I’ve had AD(H)D for decades at this point and I **absolutely** could tell a difference in everything I did when I was on/off meds.
Unfortunately for me, I wanted to join the military, and those meds aren’t allowed, so I had to give them up and try to adapt. I then met and married my wife during that time, and she doesn’t want me to be medicated, since “that person wasn’t who she fell in love with”.
In her defense, I’m much more spontaneous, fun and carefree without it all… so I can see her point (even if she didn’t know me when I was taking it). But I’m also not great at remembering stuff or doing things unless I’m reminded multiple times, just because my mind is going so random and fast at all times. I wish I didn’t have it.
All of my accidents have occurred while I was driving unmedicated (all of them my fault). I only take my ritalin on days when I’m driving; I can’t tolerate the side effects well enough to take it every day. But I absolutely cannot drive without it. I don’t speed or drive irresponsibly without it– I just have such a hard time paying attention and coordinating things that are second-nature to everyone else.
My friend in college got in one car accident his entire time at school. And it was his first time trying Ritalin. He also had stayed up the whole night before studying, but just fyi.
There are so many studies that show people with untreated ADHD are more prone to accidents just in general so obviously that would extend to operating any kind of heavy machinery including vehicles.
I wasn’t diagnosed until I had been in the workforce for several years as an adult probably because I did well in school, but I had a ton of accidents growing up. I totaled two vehicles, several other minor accidents, it’s a miracle I never got hurt. Since I’ve had proper treatment I’ve only had two minor scrapes in parking lots at low speeds and only one was my fault.
I remember one time I was driving into town and to get where I wanted to go I had to make a single right hand turn after 4-5 miles, but I was on autopilot either lost in my head or listening to music (this was before smartphones were everywhere or again it likely would been much worse) and kept driving past the turn for almost ten miles! It wasn’t until I reached the outskirts of the next town over before I realized. I’m surprised that I didn’t have even more accidents and not just car accidents, but I really believe that growing up playing sports at a high level minimized the damage because it improved reflexes, hand eye coordination, focus, self-discipline, etc. If I had also been clumsy in addition to absent minded and easily distracted it would have been worse, like I might be dead and I’m not exaggerating. Again, research seems to back this up even sports/exercise improving overall performance.
I cannot emphasize how much better I feel when I’m routinely engaged in sport and regularly exercising both mentally and physically. I’m on low dose stimulant medication as well so I’m not saying that people shouldn’t be seeking treatment, quite the opposite as proper treatment with stimulant medication especially has been proven to lower the risk of accidents, injuries, suicides, etc. in addition to improving symptoms and overall performance. And non-stimulant meds like atomoxetine have shown positive results for people as well, but stimulant medications work best if you can tolerate them and don’t have a propensity for stimulant abuse (well these days you may have to worry about shortages as well, but they may be location dependent idk). I’m just saying that behavioral/lifestyle changes on top of that can really enhance the benefits, but people with ADHD very often need medication so we have a chance to consistently make those changes in the first place. Life hacks like time blocking, using reminders, meditation/visualization works really well for me, and having an accountability partner is so huge especially for starting new stuff you know you’ll find challenging or tedious at least at first (like starting an exercise program after an extended period of inactivity).
“Breaking Discovery: Meth makes you more alert” says scientist who has never seen the cash register display at a truck stop.
And we still can’t use this very helpful form of medication in aviation at all or commercial ship operations.