Long term effects of ritalin or meth use?

Question by fishy man: Long term effects of ritalin or meth use?
Hey, I am interested in knowing how exactly these drugs affect brain morphology over a long term use (years, and at moderate to heavy dosage) –

Best answer:

Answer by puppykiller
Though there is a fair amount of literature on both of these drugs (especially methamphetamine) your associated terminology is somewhat limiting. What constitutes a ‘moderate’ or ‘heavy’ dose, what rate of use is being considered, and other associated factors (such as how these doses affect an individual’s behavior) confound any accurate answer being provided. Ritalin has a far lower incidence of abuse, especially at higher doses and over longer time spans. Methamphetamine on the other hand is quite well documented and causes multiple issues at high doses across multiple years.
Methamphetamine is a potent neurotoxin, shown to cause dopaminergic degeneration. High doses of methamphetamine produce losses in several markers of brain dopamine and serotonin neurons. Dopamine and serotonin concentrations, dopamine and 5HT uptake sites, and tyrosine and tryptophan hydroxylase activities are reduced after the administration of methamphetamine. It has been proposed that dopamine plays a role in methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity because experiments that reduce dopamine production or block the release of dopamine decrease the toxic effects of methamphetamine administration. When dopamine breaks down it produces reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide.

What do you think? Answer below!