Psychostimulant plasma concentration and learning performance.
Six normal adults were administered an oral dose of 0.25 mg/kg of dextroamphetamine, and their learning performance on a paired-associate task and drug blood level were measured at hourly intervals for 5 hours postdrug intake. Dextroamphetamine plasma concentration peaked at 2 to 3 hours following the oral dose, and learning errors were lowest during the same period. A self-report measure of mood also yielded findings consistent with peak plasma concentration. Similar findings obtained with hyperactive children treated with methylphenidate (Ritalin) lead the authors to conclude that the paired-associate learning task may be useful as an indicator of psychostimulant plasma levels, as a predictor of clinical response after an acute dose, and as a highly controlled task for studying psychostimulant drug effects on learning.
D000284:Administration, Oral; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010153:Paired-Associate Learning / Q000187:drug effects*
D008774:Methylphenidate; D003913:Dextroamphetamine