Attention on ADHD

Stimulant medications may have long-lasting benefits for children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

New long-term Mayo Clinic studies provide reassurance that stimulant medications do help many children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

ADHD makes it difficult for children to control their behavior and/or pay attention. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration estimates that 2.5 million children with ADHD take stimulant medications such as methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta), amphetamines (Adderall) and dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine). While many short-term clinical trials have documented the effectiveness of stimulant treatment -- about 70 percent of children with ADHD benefit from medication -- no one had taken a longer-term look, says William Barbaresi, M.D., a Mayo Clinic pediatrician.

Dr. Barbaresi and his colleagues reviewed medical and school records of all children born in Rochester, Minn., from 1976 to 1982, and identified 379 children diagnosed with ADHD. They tracked the children with ADHD from birth to almost age 18. Mayo Clinic researchers found that 73 percent of all treatment episodes with stimulant medications were associated with a favorable response. The results were similar for girls and boys, and for children who were hyperactive, inattentive or both.

"For the first time, parents and care providers have evidence that stimulant medications work as well in community settings as they do in structured clinical trials," Dr. Barbaresi says.

Using the same group of children, researchers looked for other effects of stimulant treatment over the course of childhood and adolescence. For example, children with ADHD are at higher risk for health problems and behaviors that can result in trips to the emergency room. However, the study found that these children experienced fewer trips to the emergency room while they were taking stimulant medication. Another finding: Treating ADHD appears to be associated with decreased risk for substance abuse in adolescents.

"Children with ADHD are typically at higher risk for substance abuse," Dr. Barbaresi notes. "And there was a fear that stimulant treatment could increase the risk further because these drugs can be abused." Researchers found 36 percent of boys with ADHD who were not treated with stimulants were diagnosed with substance abuse compared to 22 percent of boys who were treated with stimulants. In a control group of children without ADHD, just 4.4 percent were diagnosed with substance abuse. "These results indicate that treating young people with stimulants could be part of a solution for substance abuse rather than a cause," Dr. Barbaresi says.

Talk to your pediatrician, family physician or child psychologist for more information.