The pharmacological treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is
one of the more widely investigated and controversial areas in psychiatry. Hundreds
of controlled trials have been conducted with a broad range of agents in children,
adolescents, and adults with ADHD. This research has resulted in 16 currently approved
products to treat the condition plus more in development. The pharmacological management
of ADHD has also met with considerable controversy, usually surrounding the use of
stimulant drugs, which comprise all but one of the currently approved products. In
the past 15 years, an exponential increase in the use of stimulants has led many to
question the appropriate use of such medications (
1
). Additionally, concerns have been raised about the association between stimulant
treatment and substance use disorders among ADHD patients as well as the risk for
cardiovascular adverse events. These concerns have resulted in strict labeling for
all stimulants. Concerns have also been raised about growth suppression in children
treated intensively with stimulants. The impact of ADHD on the health care system
and society remains substantial, costing tens of billions of dollars annually in addition
to personal and family suffering—each of which support the use of aggressive treatment
(
2
).To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
August 17,
2007
Received:
August 17,
2007
Identification
Copyright
© 2007 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
