Stimulant

Adderall contains mixed amphetamine salts, with approximately a 3:1 dextro- to levo-amphetamine ratio. Immediate-release tablets and Adderall XR deliver the same mixture at different rates. Controlled trials support ADHD symptom reduction; this is treatment evidence, not proof of general cognitive enhancement.

Bromantane is a lipophilic adamantane stimulant-anxiolytic developed in the Soviet Union and marketed in Russia as Ladasten for asthenic disorders. A 30-person, single-blind placebo trial reported faster and greater symptom relief, while a 728-patient uncontrolled program reported improvement from day 3; neither result has been independently replicated. Its best-supported mechanism is not direct receptor agonism or dopamine transporter blockade, but altered expression of dopamine-synthesis enzymes in animals.

Caffeine is the world's most widely used psychoactive compound, a methylxanthine that works by blocking adenosine receptors. At low to moderate doses it reliably improves alertness, vigilance, attention and reaction time, with weaker and less consistent effects on memory and higher-order judgment. It is the reference point every other stimulant on this wiki gets compared to.

Concerta is an osmotic extended-release formulation of methylphenidate hydrochloride for ADHD. A controlled pediatric comparison found effects lasting through 12 hours and broadly matching immediate-release methylphenidate given three times daily. It is the same active drug as Ritalin, with a different delivery system.

Paraxanthine (1,7-dimethylxanthine) is what most caffeine turns into in the body: about 80% of a caffeine dose is converted to it. Like caffeine it blocks adenosine receptors, and at 4 mg/kg it raised diastolic blood pressure and adrenaline in people about as much as the same dose of caffeine. It is now sold on its own as a supplement. Small crossover trials funded by the ingredient's sponsor report better scores on some attention, memory and reaction-time tests after 50 to 200 mg, though their main statistical tests were not significant.

PPAP (1-phenyl-2-propylaminopentane) is a research stimulant made in Joseph Knoll's Budapest laboratory as a version of selegiline with the MAO-B inhibition taken out. In rats it improved learning and retention, reversed the learning deficit caused by tetrabenazine and was active in the forced swimming test, without releasing catecholamines the way amphetamine does. No human has been studied at any dose: its inventor wrote in 2001 that, despite his group's efforts, it had never been tested clinically, and almost every experiment comes from the group that invented it.

Ritalin tablets contain immediate-release methylphenidate hydrochloride, a prescription stimulant used for ADHD and narcolepsy. ADHD efficacy is well supported, while its shorter delivery profile means that trial regimens often use multiple daily doses. This page focuses on ordinary tablets, not the separate Ritalin LA formulation.

Tesofensine is not a GLP-1 anything. It is a triple monoamine reuptake inhibitor - it blocks the transporters for norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin - originally developed for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, where trials failed but participants lost weight. That observation led to a phase 2 obesity trial in 203 patients: 24 weeks at 0.5 mg gave 9.2% weight loss against 2.0% on placebo, with heart rate up 7.4 beats per minute. It never reached phase 3 for obesity. That trial also carries a Lancet expression of concern, issued in 2013 over under-reporting of adverse effects and never withdrawn. A newer formulation combining tesofensine with metoprolol has been tested in hypothalamic obesity, a condition with almost no other options, giving 6.3% more weight loss than placebo in 21 patients.

Vyvanse is lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, a prodrug converted in blood to dextroamphetamine. It has established ADHD efficacy and a separate US indication for moderate-to-severe binge-eating disorder in adults. Its prodrug design changes delivery but does not remove stimulant adverse effects or misuse potential.