One of the most widely used drugs in the United States and the most widely used pain reliever in the world can do more than just cut your head off.
Acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol and widely sold under the brand names Tylenol and Panadol, may increase the risk, according to a 2020 study that measured changes in people’s behavior under the influence of the common drug.
Ohio State University neuroscientist Baldwin Way said when the results were published “Acetaminophen seems to make people more negative when they think of risky activities they don’t feel fear, nearly 25 percent of the population in the United States taking acetaminophen each week, decreased risk perception and increased risk exposure could have significant societal implications.”
Findings add to the growing body of research showing that the pain relieving effects of acetaminophen also affect various psychological processes, including reducing the ability to feel emotions, reducing empathy, and even impaired cognitive function.
Similarly, studies have shown that people’s ability to perceive and assess risk can be altered or impaired when taking acetaminophen.
Although the effects may be small and hypothetical at this time, it is important to note that acetaminophen is the most common prescription drug in America, found in more than 600 different brands and prescription drugs.
In an experiment involving more than 500 university students, Way and his team measured how random participants given 1,000 mg of acetaminophen (the maximum recommended adult dose) affected their risky behavior, compared to placebos randomly assigned. to the management team.
In each trial, participants must pop an uninflated balloon on the computer screen, earning imaginary money for each pump.
Their instruction is to make as much imaginary money as possible by pumping up as many balloons as possible, but make sure the balloon does not pop, otherwise they will lose money.
The results showed that students who took acetaminophen took more risks during exercise than the more cautious and conservative placebo group. Overall, those using acetaminophen pumped and released more balloons than controls.
Way says “If you’re not risk averse, you might pump a few times and pay cash because you don’t want the balloon to burst and lose your money, But we believe that for people who use acetaminophen as their balloon grows, they have less anxiety and less negative feelings about how big the balloon is and how likely it is to burst.”
In addition to the balloon simulation, participants filled out questionnaires in two experiments to determine the level of risk they would take in several hypothetical scenarios, such as making a day of sports-level income, jumping from a high bridge, or driving a car without seat belt.
In one study, the use of acetaminophen appeared to reduce the risk compared to a control group, but another similar study did not show the same effect.
Although the same test, based on the average results of different tests, did not show how acetaminophen could affect real-life people, the team concluded that there was a significant relationship between taking acetaminophen and making more risky choices. if the observed effect is small.
That is, they assert that the drug’s apparent effects on risky behavior can be explained by other psychological processes, such as reduced anxiety.
Researchers says “As the size of the balloon increased, the placebo participants were more likely to burst, when the anxiety becomes too much, the experiment ends. Acetaminophen can reduce the anxiety that leads to greater risk-taking.”
Future research should explore such alternative psychological explanations for this phenomenon, as well as the biological mechanisms by which acetaminophen influences people’s choices in such situations, the team said.
Despite the effects of acetaminophen on people’s perception of risk, the drug remains one of the most important and widely used drugs in the world, designated as an important drug by the World Health Organization, although other questions persist.
He says “We need more research on the effects of acetaminophen and other drugs on our choices and risks”. Findings are reported in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. An earlier version of this article was published in September 2020.
