 Thus, in patients with ADHD not only is the input from the prefrontal cortex to the nucleus accumbens reduced but in addition the gating input from the hippocampus to the nucleus accumbens is also reduced leading to a reduction in activation of the nucleus accumbens neurons.Individuals that take medication such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) will increase their dopamine (DA) output along many of these synapses helping to compensate in the loss of synaptic activity generated from the pathophysiology of ADHD.Taking methylphenidate can increase DA projections to the nucleus accumbens, which can not only act to increase synaptic activity between the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus (improving memory) but also act as a reward system as the nucleus accumbens is part of the mesolimbic pathway.