Study Design to Use MRIs for Measuring the Effects of Ritalin on the Brain of a Childe

                        Effects of Ritalin® in MRI
 
As children who developed while medicated with methylphenidate (MPH, better known as Ritalin®) are maturing it may be beneficial to investigate the changes that may have occurred in their brains while they were under the influence of mind altering chemicals. The research problem, a literature review, implications for biological psychology, a hypothesis verification, assurance of research validity, and ethical criteria will be discussed in this article for the proposed study. The research problem will be discussed next.
 
Research Problem
 
The prevalence of methylphenidates that are prescribed to youth raises alarm about the long term side effects that may affect the developing brain as some research suggests. Pardey, et.al. (2012) state that throughout puberty synaptogenesis and myelination occur in the human nervous system. Continuous remodeling of synaptic plasticity or neural circuitry occurs into adulthood (Pardey, et.al., 2012). Methylphenidate (MPH) has an action mechanism similar to cocaine (COC) and is characterized as a dopamine transporter (DAT) blocker and it is a commonly abused psychostimulant – see figure 1A (Calipari, et.al., 2014). 
 1A

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“Recent animal studies with MPH, a DA reuptake inhibitor and stimulant drug frequently prescribed in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), have demonstrated that these effects are also age-dependent” (Bottelier,et.al., 2014, para.7). A considerable (-50%) reduction dopamine transport density has coincided with early Ritalin® “treatment” in rats’ striatum in comparison to non-treated animals with no effects apparent in the adult subjects – see figure 2B (Bottelier,et.al., 2014, para.7). Depression- and anxiety- related behavioral abnormalities were evident in the adulthood of rats who were treated with MPH as juveniles that seem to be caused by the alterations produced by Ritalin® in the dopamine transport system (Bottelier,et.al., 2014, para.7). Brain imaging techniques may reveal information about brain activity in subjects concerning the effects of MPH/ Ritalin®. Next the relevancy of this study to biological psychology will be discussed.
2B

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One study has some pertinent information that describes the relevancy of this study. Despite the fact that the most widely used mental health diagnosis for children is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) there is a controversy about the validity of the diagnosis because ecological and relational dimensions of restlessness may be concealed by said diagnosis (Helle-Valle, et.al., 2015). The ethical and ecological validity of the ADHD diagnosis is not proved by its ubiquity, and signs of this “disorder” are reported to be minimal when child gets one-on-one time, is engaged in interesting activities, and receives rewards frequently (Helle-Valle, et.al., 2015). There is a lack of studies that focus on underlying neural and cognitive mechanisms even though altered reinforcement sensitivity is associated with ADHD (Helle-Valle, et.al., 2015). Interestingly, 90% of diagnosed adults neither present tested neuropsychological deficits in adult- or child- hood nor do they have a history of childhood ADHD (Helle-Valle, et.al., 2015). The problem consists of a high prevalence of youth who are freely given MPH with an unsound diagnosis that may be growing up to be adults with brains that are adversely affected by Ritalin® consumption. The ethical thing to do is perform research the help the coming generations of those who were prescribed methylphenidate as youth. A literature review will be performed next.
 
Literature Review
 
A literature review of other studies that affect this study may enlighten the validity of this proposed study. “The cognitive-enhancing features of MPH are (1) not specific to ADHD and (2) do not apply to executive functions in general but specifically to WM performance…MPH did not cause a significant improvement in the sustained attention task” (Agay, et.al., 2010. P.7). Since concerns for the long-term of MPH exist Marco, et.al. (2011) used magnetic resonance techniques to measure MPH-induced acute effects in adult rats compared to adolescent animals. Persistent neurobehavioral consequences such as: enhanced stress-induced emotionality, long-term modulation of self-control abilities, decreased sensitivity to natural and drug reward, and“an enhanced cortical control over sub-cortical dopamine systems and an enduring up-regulation of Htr7 gene expression within the nucleus accumbens (NAcc)” are associated with adolescent exposure to MPH in rats (Marco, et.al., 2011, para.1). Marco, et.al. (2011) insist that additional animal model studies are needed to deeper investigate safety concerns with the administration of this pharmacological treatment during early life stages. This study moves a step further than that because it proposes brain scans on humans. Next implications for biological psychology will be discussed.
 
Implications to Biological Psychology 

The importance of this study to biological psychology is reflected in past studies. Bottelier,et.al. (2014) note that clinical evidence exists which relates the findings of their rat studies to humans, and that adolescents are adversely affected by MPH while adults don’t seem to be. The NIMH Collaborative Multisite Multimodal Treatment Study of Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (MTA) showed that there is a transient increase of emotional disorders for 6 – 8 years after Ritalin® treatment (Bottelier,et.al., 2014). MPH treatment is associated with 19.1% of children who had a depression and anxiety diagnosis in comparison to 4.3% of children who were anxious and depressed while receiving behavioral therapy (Bottelier,et.al., 2014). If children are experiencing for 6 – 8 years after they are off MPH it seems safe to say to say that biological psychology has already been implicated and the best course is to better comprehend what MPH does to the brain. A hypothesis verification will be performed next.
 
Hypothesis Verification
 
The hypothesis that brain imaging will reveal changes in the brains of young adults who took MPH will be verified in this section. Helle-Valle, et.al. (2015) claim that “neurological testing has revealed differences between children with and without ADHD in two domains: executive function and motivation. However, neither of these are specific to ADHD” (Para.5). Since the MRI scan uses a computer, magnetism, and radio waves to produce images it should reveal come changes in the brain (Shiel, 2016). A correlation study that compares and contrasts the brain imaging results of 9 subjects who took MPH in their developing years against 9 participants who were not medicated during this stage should present a sounder comprehension of the long term effects of MPH on the brain. Next assurance of research validity will be discussed.
 
Assurance of Research Validity
 
The validity of the research will be assured by refusal to let this research be biased. Fiore (2014) reveals that “conflicts of interest pose a threat to scientific integrity by introducing forms of bias that affect the enterprise of science itself” (para.46). There aren’t any financial relationships with investors concerning this research (Fiore, 2014). Persuasive evidence that ties companies to researchers is void in this study and that is probably why it may be refused (Fiore, 2014). Nevertheless, the public is figuring out what MPH has done to their children so it would be beneficial for public relations to be on the cutting edge of researching to fix this dilemma. Ethical criteria will be discussed next.
 
Ethical Criteria
 
The necessary criteria to ensures the study’s safety will be discussed now. Shiel (2016) instruct that there is no x-ray radiation involved with MRI and it is painless with no known side effects. An MRI scan can detect structural abnormalities in the body with precise accuracy (Shiel, 2016). Research subjects must be given sufficient information to decide whether or not they wish to participate in the study (Arwood, et,al., 2014). Steps that will be taken to protect confidential information of the subjects will be explained to them (Arwood, et,al., 2014). Informed consent must be consistent throughout this study (Arwood, et,al., 2014). "Documentation of consent provides a record that the consent process took place” (Hicks, 2014, para.6). This study will be carried out in accordance with existing ethical criteria.
 
Summary and Conclusion
 
The research problem, a literature review, implications for biological psychology, a hypothesis verification, assurance of research validity, and ethical criteria have been discussed in this article for the proposed study. Due to the possible adverse side effects, controversy of diagnosis, and implications that MPH may cause emotional disturbances combined with research validity and ethical criteria it seems wise to further research its effects.



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