Word: adhd
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Clarke Ross, head of Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, funded in part by the drugmakers, agrees that the ads promote "public awareness of the existence of ADHD." But he thinks many families would prefer advertisers simply to discuss the condition and suggest drugs as part of a multipronged approach...
Certainly Sheila Matthews (who uses her maiden name to protect her son's privacy) does not believe medication is the answer--or even in ADHD's validity. Two years ago, school officials said her son fit an ADHD profile and warned that "if I didn't medicate him, he would self-medicate later"--meaning he would use drugs illegally. Instead, speech and language tutoring solved the problem...
That's why she's so pleased by the new law. But in case she had forgotten what she was up against, she was reminded at last Thursday's signing. A researcher lobbying for funding to test his new ADHD treatment technique was also there--as well as a representative from Novartis, the maker of Ritalin...
Since then, the universe of medications to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has broadened significantly, ranging from vintage antidepressants known as tricyclics to various drugs for high blood pressure. Both groups seek to restore the balance of brain chemicals that appears to have gone awry in those with ADHD. Doctors generally start with stimulants like Ritalin; if these fail, as happens in about one-fifth of all patients, they move on to other drugs. Here's how each category works...
While it seems counterintuitive to give a stimulant to a hyperactive child, those with ADHD actually need to rev up activity in the part of their brain responsible for functions like organization and concentration. Methylphenidates (Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate) and amphetamines (Adderall) will do that by bathing the brain's nerve cells in certain chemicals--dopamine, norepinephrine or serotonin--that promote nerve activity...