The drugs are normally prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but healthy students use them to get a leg up in school, by improving focus, concentration and memory.
Adrenaline, or epinephrine, is a hormone that dilates an individual's air passages and increases his heart rate when he is faced with a stressful situation. The hormone is secreted from the adrenal glands to help ensure survival under dangerous situations.
What does adrenaline do? Physically, adrenaline increases your heart rate, raises your blood pressure, and is associated with a diversion of blood away from certain areas of your brain and internal organs and into your muscles. As a result, adrenaline has the ability to increase speed and strength.