HYPERACTIVITY
Stimulant Medicines
and Children
Sometimes the treatment
regime includes stimulant medications that suppress impulsive,
disruptive behavior. Medication is often recommended in severe
cases where children have received so much negative feedback,
they have poor self- esteem and problems in school and at home.
Statistics show that 70 to 80 percent of hyperactive youngsters
react favorably to treatment medications such as dextroamphetamine
(Dexedrine), pemoline (Cylert), and methylphenidate (Ritalin).
At the NIH day hospital program, we have been studying a whole
host of medications in an effort to find alternative drugs.
There are other stimulant medications on the market, but none
has been found to be as safe and effective as the three commonly
used.
In a pioneering study
conducted at the Clinical Center in the 1970s, a single one-time
dose of dextroamphetamine was given to normal children to determine
if stimulant medication affected them differently than ADHD
children. We found no difference in the two groups. This is
a relief to some parents and scientists who once thought that
medical stimulants slow hyperactive children down below normal
levels.
Experts agree that
these medications should be used in moderation. In the past,
however, some parents were only administering medication during
school hours, which often led to good behavior at school and
terrible, disruptive behavior at home. We recommend the consistent
use of medications throughout the day to improve not only behavior,
but also self-esteem.
Debunking the theory
that stimulant medications contribute to drug use, a study found
that children treated with stimulants are not likely to have
a chemical dependency later in life. In yet another study, NIH
researchers hoping to find a biological indicator for the disorder
discovered that hyperactive children have less of a breakdown
compound of norepinephrine called MHPG. Scientists thought stimulant
medication would normalize levels of MHPG, but in fact, it further
decreased it .
In other research,
we have been unable to prove that stimulants improve academic
achievement in hyperactive children, although several studies
indicate otherwise.
Researchers have
found that children's behaviors generally do not worsen when
certain food additives are consumed . Of 20 studies, only study
all aspects of the brain, from neurological disorders to psychiatric
problems. By injecting deoxyglucose (a form of sugar) intravenously
into the bloodstream as well as very small amounts of radioactivity,
it is possible to make a photograph of the brain and measure
brain metabolism. This procedure can be performed on adults
and teens with minimal risk, but is not recommended for young
children.
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