Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Estimulante
Stimulant (STIM-yoo-lunt)
In medicine, a family of drugs used to treat depression, attention-deficit disorder (a common disorder in which children are inattentive, impulsive, and/or over-active), and narcolepsy (a sleep disorder that causes uncontrollable sleepiness). Stimulants increase brain activity, alertness, attention, and energy. They also raise blood pressure and increase heart rate and breathing rate.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.