Question

Maria has a school-age child who has been told that she is hyperkinetic in school and must be prescribed stimulants. Maria is very confused because she knows that caffeine is a stimulant and she uses it every day to be more alert and increase her energy level in the morning. Has her school psychologist made a mistake?

Answer 1

Maria's school psychologist is not mistaken. Hyperkinetic syndrome is a symptom complex of hyperactivity, attention deficit, learning difficulties and impulsivity. Amphetamines and methylphenidate are the key stimulant medications used. they are thought to work by inhibiting presynaptic re uptake of dopamine and thereby increasing the availability of extracellular dopamine. Thus stimulants can help in restoring the catecholamines balance. when there is balance between dopamine and norepinephrine, it is seen that there is improvements in the activity in the centers of the brain that regulates attention function and executive functions. Thus stimulants can reduce the symptoms of hyperkinetic disorder.

Caffeine has a different mechanism of action and cannot be compared to the mechanism of action of prescribed stimulants for hyperkinetic disorders.