In a study, volunteers were asked to inflate a balloon virtually – the stronger it was, the more points they got. However, if it burst, the profit was lost. Some of the people had taken 1,000 milligrams of paracetamol, the maximum single dose for adults. This changed their willingness to take risks compared to people in the control group who had only been given a placebo: Those who had taken acetaminophen inflated their balloons more and burst them slightly more often.
Baldwin Way, a neuroscientist at Ohio State University, said: “We think that as the balloon got bigger, those who took acetaminophen experienced less negative emotions and fear that the balloon might burst. When fear of bursting becomes too great, participants stop the experiment. Acetaminophen can reduce this anxiety, leading to greater risk-taking.”
The research team came to similar results in two surveys in which people with and without paracetamol intake were asked how great the risk was in different situations, e.g. B. betting a day’s earnings on a sporting event, bungee jumping or driving without a seat belt. Again, acetaminophen seemed to increase risk-taking, but the effect was small.
Way speculated that this could have implications in “real” life as well: “Perhaps a person with mild Covid-19 symptoms may find it less risky to leave the house and socialize with people if they take paracetamol.” He But warned: “We need more research on the effects of paracetamol and other over-the-counter drugs on the decisions and risks we take.”
Source: DOI 10.1093/scan/nsaa108