Figure 1.

The relationships between ADHD and stimulant abuse are multi-fold. First, impulsive traits and behaviors in ADHD are often treated with low, orally-delivered doses of stimulant drugs. At higher doses, or after alternative routes of administration (e.g., intra-nasal administration of crushed tablets), euphoria and reward can develop. Stimulant drugs, under these circumstances, can support substance abuse behavior, which ultimately leads to further molecular adaptations in the brain that exacerbate the deficits of response inhibition that the stimulant drugs were prescribed to treat, in the first place.