Using acetaminophen during pregnancy does not increase a child's risk of autism, ADHD or intellectual disability, a major new review published Friday finds.

The stimulants Ritalin and Adderall have been used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for decades, but research shows they don’t act on the brain’s attention circuitry as had long been assumed.

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 7, 2026 (HealthDay News) — For decades, doctors assumed ADHD medications like Ritalin and Adderall work by fixing problems in the brain’s attention system. A new study suggests that assumption may be wrong.

New research from Washington University School of Medicine suggests that ADHD stimulant medications, such as Adderall and Ritalin, do not work as previously understood. Instead of directly improving attention, the drugs primarily affect the brain's reward and wakefulness centres, making individuals more alert and finding tasks more rewarding.

A new study suggests that common medications prescribed to help manage ADHD, such as Adderall and Ritalin, may work differently than believed.