Methylphenidate enhances brain activation and deactivation responses to visual attention and working memory tasks in healthy controls

►The study evaluates the effect of 20 mg oral MPH on brain activation in two different cognitive domains. ►20 mg oral MPH improved performance during cognitive tasks. ►20 mg oral MPH significantly increased brain activation in the dorsal attention network and caused increased deactivation in posterior cingulate and insula during cognitive tasks. ►Findings suggest that MPH modulates attention through its effects on DAN and DMN.