Ritalin's Role in Enhancing Focus through Brain Energy
"Since the 1960s, a stimulant, Ritalin (methylphenidate) has often been prescribed for hyperactive kids, because it made them able to quietly pay attention. This effect was called paradoxical, but for scientific physiology — there was nothing paradoxical about it. The frontal lobes of the brain, the most highly evolved part, give us the ability to plan and to understand complex things that require prolonged attention. Without this higher part of the brain which has a very high energy requirement, people and animals become hyperactive and unable to concentrate. Ritalin (or coffee) makes anyone, even the brightest students, more attentive and focussed. Caffeine and Ritalin temporarily raise the energy level of the brain."
- 1994 - April - Ray Peat's Newsletter