A new study finds that one of the most widely used medications for pain relief may have dangerous effects on behavior.
According to the study, the results of which were published in the Journal of Neuroscience, acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol, and widely sold under the brand names Tylenol and Panadol, increases risk-taking behaviour.
“Acetaminophen seems to make people feel fewer negative emotions when they think about risky activities — they don’t feel afraid,” neuroscientist Baldwin Way of Ohio State University said when the results were published.
The findings add to a growing body of research indicating that acetaminophen’s pain-reducing effects also extend to various psychological processes, causing decreased empathy and even impairing cognitive function.
The research indicates that people’s emotional ability to recognize and assess risk can be impaired when they take acetaminophen. Although the effects may be minor.
Acetaminophen is found in more than 600 different types of over-the-counter and prescription medications.
The study included more than 500 college students as participants, who were given a single dose of 1,000 mg of acetaminophen, compared to a placebo group.
Participants were asked to inflate an uninflated balloon on a computer screen, with each single pump earning fantasy money. The instructions were to earn as much fairy money as possible by pumping up the balloon as much as possible, but being careful not to pop the balloon, in which case they would lose the money.
The results showed that the students who took the acetaminophen had a greater risk of popping the balloon and having their balloons burst than those who took the placebo.
The students who took the medication were less anxious about the balloon bursting.
The research team concluded that there was a significant relationship between taking acetaminophen and choosing to take more risks, even if the effect was small.