Stimulants are being used with increasing frequency by students across college campuses (see ‘Harvard Students: Reaching for drugs to boost brain power). Many of them, however, probably aren’t well aware of the various side effects. In addition to chronic

One of the main benefits of stimulant drugs (such as cocaine, ephedrine, and amphetamines like Ritalin) is their ability to dramatically increase mental energy and concentration. They can make it easier to focus on your work and studies for prolonged periods of time.

How is this achieved? Basically, it’s thought that psychostimulants increase catecholamine

One of the greatest misunderstandings people have about the brain is their belief in “free energy”.

A new study done by Scott Hemby and colleagues at Wake Forest University of Medicine finds that long term cocaine use leads to “profound changes in brain function”.

Cocaine, Ritalin (amphetamines), and coffee all work differently on the brain, but in the end, they are all stimulants, and they can all induce euphoria by modulating the amount of the neurotransmitter dopamine.