Rapid release form and extended release form simply refer to how much dopamine gets produced and how quickly the nerve cells distribute the dopamine into the brain ("Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs"). Amphetamines and methamphetamines are also the key elements in drugs that treat depression, narcolepsy and low blood pressure (Rasmussen 1). .
Pros.
More then 60 years ago, the noted physician Charles Bradley observed that stimulants drugs alleviate the symptoms of ADHD and ADD in children, when administered in correct dosages. Stimulant medications, sometimes referred to as performance-enhancers, reverse the effects of ADHD and ADD by inducing alertness, increasing attentiveness and motor activity, and regulating impulsiveness . Numerous studies foster the idea that stimulant medications efficiently treat ADHD and ADD. One study, done by the Journal of Attention Disorders, suggest that stimulant medications affect children differently, depending on what situation they are in (Majewicz-Hefley and Carlson 10). According to the Journal of Attention Disorders, "In the classroom, stimulants decreased interrupting, fidgetiness, and finger tapping and increased on-task behavior" (12). This study also revealed stimulants reducing overt aggression on the playground and improving parent-child interactions at home. According to Mary V. Solato, author of Stimulant Drugs and ADHD: Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, the administration of stimulants, in a clinical study done by Oxford University, showed rapid improvements on math performance scores and on teacher ratings of behavior. This study also showed that the administration of stimulants led to a 40% score increase on a multi-subject test (Solato 9). Many parents, teachers and physiologists agree that, " Children seem to tolerate [stimulant drugs] well, and the [drugs] can be utilized in cases where a child exhibits the behavior problems which are associated with [ADHD and ADD]" (Cohen 5).