The main drugs in ADD treatment are the psychostimulants, the most familiar being methylphenidate, known by its trade name Ritalin, and dextroamphetamine sulfate, commonly referred to as Dexedrine. Although they have different modes of action, they both stimulate the activity of the cerebral cortex by balancing the levels of the neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) in the frontal lobe of the brain and in other centers concerned with arousal and attention.
