Science & technology | Brains in a pill

Study drugs make healthy people worse at problem-solving, not better

Users try harder, but are less competent

A student with a prescription for Adderall shares with a classmate.
Image: Robert Stolarik/The New York Times/Redux/Eyevine

FOR MORE than six months Americans have been struggling to get their hands on medications like dextroamphetamine (better known as Adderall) and methylphenidate (Ritalin). Officially, these stimulant drugs are used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Hard-working, but incompetent”

From the June 24th 2023 edition

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