The effect of benzedrine sulfate on children taking the new Stanford Achievement Test.

Abstract

I T HAS been noted by Peoples and Guttmann, ' Myerson," Nathanson" and others that benzedrine has a stimulating effect psychologically. A feeling of exhilaration and a sense of increased energy and capacity for work were noted in adults. Sargant and Blackburn! investigated the effects of benzedrine on 48 adult patients in a mental hospital, using Cattell's intelligence tests, and noted an 8% improvement in the test scores. The unpleasant reactions were infrequent in adults and no serious toxic effects were noted.Researches are under way, in the New Jersey State Home for Boys, to determine the effect of benzedrine (benzyl methyl carbinamine) on psychological tests, school tests and school progress. The present report concerns itself solely with the effects of the drug on the New Stanford Achievement Tests total (average) score. Ninety-six boys between the ages of 10 and 17, and of varying mental levels, received 219 tests. Forty-six of them were used as controls and received no benzedrine at any time. The boys studied constituted behavior problems and had been previously committed by court as being juvenile delinquents. Procedure • We wish to thank Mr. R. W. Webb of the Smith, Kline and French Laboratories for supplying the Benzedrine Sulfate• •• From the New Jersey State Home for Boys and the

Amphetamine (benzedrine) therapy of children's behavior disorders.

“…Amphetamine sulfate has been observed to reduce the hyperactivity of certain behavior problem children (2), to bring about an irnprovement in schoolroom adjustment and academic performance in some pupils (3), and to have a favorable effect upon nocturnal enuresis (4). Although some observers noted that the drug has stimulated children to increase their psychometric test scores (5,6), it apparently does this only insofar as it increases the child's confidence and energy in attacking his intellectual task (7).…”

The effects of certain drugs on mental and motor efficiency.

“…Improved school performance in problem children has been reported for the duration of administration of this drug (23). Some experimenters have found an increase in intelligence test scores in their benzedrine groups as compared with control subjects (32,33,39), but in no case has it been demonstrated that the obtained differences are statistically significant. Other experiments have failed to show any favorable effect of the drug on intelligence test scores (18,24).…”

Effect of benzedrine sulphate on blocking in color naming.

“…McNamara and Miller (8), using smaller dosages, discovered no effect upon three digit multiplication. Molitch and Eccles (p) found the drug produced higher scores on retests with intelligence tests and Molitch and Sullivan (10) noted that it produced higher scores on retests with the new Stanford achievement tests.…”