Methylphenidate and alcohol effects on flash-evoked potentials, body temperature, and behavior in Long-Evans rats.

Methylphenidate (MPD) is a psychostimulant used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Most adult ADHD patients use ethanol in combination with MPD. This research examined the effects of MPD and ethanol on flash-evoked potentials (FEPs; cortical responses frequently used to assess neural activity and sensory processing) recorded from the visual cortex (VC) and superior colliculus (SC; a structure involved in attention and orientation) of chronically implanted male Long-Evans rats, and on body temperature and open field behavior.