Medications Still Effective for Treating ADHD in Children

TUESDAY, April 16, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Medication therapy remains an important treatment for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a review published online March 25 in Pediatrics.

Bradley S. Peterson, M.D., from the Institute for the Developing Mind at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to identify effective treatment of ADHD.

Based on 312 included studies, treatments were classified as medication, psychosocial interventions, parent support, nutrition and supplements, neurofeedback, neurostimulation, physical exercise, complementary medicine, school interventions, and provider approaches. ADHD symptoms were improved with several treatments, although medications had the strongest evidence base for improving outcomes, including disruptive behaviors and broadband measures. However, medications were associated with adverse events.

"The paucity of head-to-head studies comparing treatments precludes research-based recommendations regarding which is likely to be most helpful and which should be tried first, and decisions need to be based on clinical considerations and patient preferences," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text