Methylphenidate (Ritalin) – does use by ‘healthy’ students matter?

In their report in the Telegraph, @Josiensor and Rosa Silverman discuss implications of a survey from Cambridge which notes that so-called 'smart' drugs continue to be used by students to try to improve their academic performance, with methylphenidate (Ritalin) a common choice.

Why should this be of public interest?

Methylphenidate has been in use since 1960 for treating ADHD, with effects mainly considered to be improvement in attention and concentration. It is used to treat a number of rare syndromes involving abnormalities in chemical transmission in the brain. The drug is also reported to be in widespread use by students in the UK, the US and elsewhere in the hope that it will improve studying, learning and exam performance.
 

1.    Does it work? Studies of possible effects on studying and learning are typically short-term and usually based on artificial tests – ie not usually test possible benefits of the drug what students may be trying to learn, or effects on the types of exams students may be sitting. Evidence compared to placebo of benefits or risks appears limited to studies lasting 4 weeks or less.

The evidence of benefits from methylphenidate in apparently healthy students is disappointing. For example, in a study in health young volunteers there was a reported benefit from the 1^st dose for a spatial (3D) task and for planning, but not for attention or fluency. However even these effects were not sustained: with a second dose, spatial task performance was less good; ie there was little evidence of sustained benefit on repeat use of the drug and possible evidence that performance might be worse. And one of the side effects is insomnia – fatigue could also therefore be an indirect reason why performance might be impaired by the drug. There are also reports by users that with the drug, too much focus on details may make it difficult both to complete an assessment and to consider a broad enough range of issues to give a complete answer.

2.    Is use of methylphenidate any different from using caffeine? Because of the lack of convincing evidence of benefit from methylphenidate and concerns about serious risks, methylphenidate is not approved for use in the absence of specified medical conditions – e.g. ADHD. As for other drugs, the balance between risk and benefit must be considered by prescriber and user. In the event of any benefit for studying from the drug, others not using it are put at a disadvantage. In contrast caffeine is widely available for those who chose to use it. Too much caffeine, or sensitivity to caffeine can cause troublesome symptoms, including anxiety, tremor, sleep disturbance and palpitations. 

3.    Risks of methylphenidate Potential risks may be serious and include serious cardiac and psychiatric disorders. This has lead to important restrictions by regulatory authorities such as the FDA on use of the drug, even when the drug is medically indicated. 

Withdrawal symptoms of methylphenidate can include psychosis, depression and irritability.

Risks of the drug may be greater if there are medical problems, in particular if the user has a medical history of cardiovascular or psychiatric problems. Use without clinical advice may mean that important underlying conditions are not identified, for example high blood pressure, disorders of heart rhythm, and psychiatric risk; and potential important interactions with other drugs (including other stimulants) may not be considered. For example: 

-      alcohol can delay clearance of the drug from the body, increasing risk of adverse effects; 

-      concurrent use of stimulants such as caffeine would be expected to increase risk from methylphenidate of serious disorders of heart rhythm.

4.    What about access to the drug from internet pharmacies? For the above reasons, licensed pharmacies would not supply methylphenidate in the absence of specified medical conditions. Unlicensed internet pharmacies should be avoided. The quality of medicines is not reliable, with serious risk of being supplied poorly active or counterfeit or contaminated medicines. And medical contra-indications need to be identified and discussed to minimize the risk of preventable serious adverse effects.

5.    Fairness and coercion There are also a number of ethical concerns including:

a)    the need to protect students and others from using so-called ‘smart drugs’ in response to pressure to compete, both in exams and in professional life; 

b)    being fair to other students who do not have access to the drug, or do not wish to use what may be a medically harmful pharmacological aid to improving performance in examinations or to meeting challenges at work.

See also
June 2009: Opposing opinions in the British Medical Journal from John Harris and Anjan Chatterjee

September 2011: Methylphenidate and delayed puberty
July 2012: Methylphenidate for Parkinson's disease
November 2012: Commentary in the Guardian by William Leith: Ritalin before an exam fails the test of common sense 
June 2013: Cautionary report in from Canada on methylphenidate use and learning in  ADHD