Essentials: ADHD & How Anyone Can Improve Their Focus

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, I explore the biology and psychology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and discuss both prescription and non-prescription treatment options. I discuss the neural circuits involved in attention and concentration, emphasizing dopamine's role in regulating and coordinating focus. I explain how common prescription stimulants like Ritalin, Adderall, and Modafinil act on the brain to treat ADHD, and discuss non-drug approaches, including supplements and behavioral training to support focus. The episode offers tools and insights beneficial not only for those with ADHD but for anyone seeking to improve attention and focus.Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.Thank you to our sponsorsAG1: https://drinkag1.com/hubermanEight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/hubermanJoovv: https://joovv.com/hubermanTimestamps00:00:00 Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)00:01:10 ADHD Challenges, Attention, Impulsivity, Hyperfocus, Time Perception, Working Memory00:05:22 Sponsor: Eight Sleep00:07:03 Dopamine & Focus; Default Mode Network & Task Network00:11:57 ADHD & Low-Dopamine Hypothesis, Stimulants, Sugar00:16:15 ADHD Prescriptions, Ritalin, Adderall, Stimulants00:18:05 Sponsor: Joovv00:19:18 Children, Learning to Focus & ADHD Prescriptions00:22:26 Attentional Blinks, Tool: Improve Focus, Open-Monitoring, Panoramic Vision00:26:28 Blinking, Dopamine & Time Perception, Tool: Visual Focus Training00:30:39 Sponsor: AG100:32:16 Ritalin, Adderall, Modafinil, Side Effects, Tapering00:34:05 Omega-3 Fatty Acids, EPA, DHA & Attention Effects; Phosphatidylserine00:36:01 Modafinil, Armodafinil00:36:51 Acetylcholine, Alpha-GPC00:38:55 L-Tyrosine, Dopamine, Preexisting Conditions & Caution00:39:51 Smartphones & Focus, Tool: Limiting Smartphone Use00:41:56 Recap & Key TakeawaysDisclaimer & DisclosuresLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Huberman Lab podcast is hosted by Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the department of neurobiology, and by courtesy, psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford School of Medicine. The podcast discusses neuroscience and science-based tools, including how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health, as well as existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works.
Huberman has made numerous significant contributions to the fields of brain development, brain function, and neural plasticity, which is the ability of our nervous system to rewire and learn new behaviors, skills, and cognitive functioning. He is a McKnight Foundation and Pew Foundation Fellow and was awarded the Cogan Award, given to the scientist making the most significant discoveries in the study of vision, in 2017.
Work from the Huberman Laboratory at Stanford School of Medicine has been published in top journals, including Nature, Science, and Cell, and has been featured in TIME, BBC, Scientific American, Discover, and other top media outlets.
In 2021, Dr. Huberman launched the Huberman Lab podcast. The podcast is frequently ranked in the top 10 of all podcasts globally and is often ranked #1 in the categories of Science, Education, and Health & Fitness.

• No. of episodes: 324
• Latest episode: 2025-08-04
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