The world's most popular painkiller—paracetamol—can influence not only physical condition but also human behavior.
Researchers from Ohio State University found that the drug lowers the fear threshold and makes people more prone to risky behavior. The results of the study were published in the scientific journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (SCAN).
As paracetamol is included in hundreds of over-the-counter medications, its hidden effects on the psyche have raised serious interest among neurobiologists. According to Baldwin Way, the drug seemingly suppresses negative emotions that typically arise in anticipation of danger.
"People just feel less scared when thinking about risk," the researcher explained.
The hypothesis was tested in a series of experiments involving more than 500 students. One group was given a standard maximum dose of 1000 mg, while the other received a placebo. In the main test, volunteers inflated a virtual balloon on a computer: the larger the volume, the higher the monetary reward, but if the balloon burst, the participant lost everything. The group that took the medication acted significantly more aggressively: the subjects inflated balloons to larger sizes and more frequently allowed them to burst.
Additional surveys confirmed the trend. Participants assessed risk in hypothetical situations—from skydiving to dangerous driving. Those who took the drug systematically underestimated the level of threat, although in some tests the effect was less pronounced.
The authors of the study urge not to dramatize the results: the identified changes do not turn a person into a madman. However, this research adds to the overall picture of how paracetamol "freezes" not only pain but also complex emotional reactions, including anxiety and even empathy.
The mechanism is simple: people stop being cautious not due to miscalculations but because they cease to feel fear on an emotional level. Despite this, the WHO still classifies paracetamol as an essential medicine. Scientists emphasize that it is now necessary to study the social consequences of such an effect, as millions of people take this drug daily, getting behind the wheel or making important decisions.
