Stimulants like dextroamphetamine and ritalin have a paradoxical soothing effect on those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Enough Ritalin to make most of us run around in circles can mean calm, focused productivity to someone with acute ADHD.

From the whiskers of our old friend, the lab rat, come an explanation, and a better answer to the skeptical ridicule some with ADHD must bear.

Research at Drexel University in Philadelphia tweaked the whiskers of lab rats while looking right at the rat-brain region which interprets the resulting signals.

They found that methylphenidate (Ritalin) sharpened rat sensitivity to primary signals from the whiskers, and suppressed secondary signals.

Yes, you could say it helped them focus. After all, focus was what those with ADHD are looking for when they taken the prescribed medication (in the prescribed dose). Appropriately, a better-focused medication should be the eventual fruit of this research.