Abstract
The rate of onset of a drug's effect is an important determinant of its abuse potential. This experiment examined the acute behavioral effects of orally administered sustained-release methylphenidate (SR; 20-40 mg), immediate-release methylphenidate (IR; 20-40 mg), and placebo in 10 healthy volunteers. Drag effects were assessed before drug administration and periodically afterwards for 6 hr using drug-effect questionnaires and performance measures that are sensitive to the acute effects of stimulants. The IR formulation produced stimulant-like drug effects (e.g., increased ratings of 'good effects') that generally varied as a function of dose and time. The SR formulation produced only transient effects on these measures. These findings are consistent with previous research on the influence of rate of onset using other drugs and suggest that the abuse potential of IR methylphenidate may be greater than that of SR methylphenidate.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 367-374 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 1998 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pharmacology
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Pharmacology (medical)
