Medications Used To Treat ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neuro-behavioral conditions in children. According to the latest statistics made available by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the DSM, three to seven percent of school age children in the US have ADHD. However, parental surveys reveal that the true numbers are even higher, and almost 9.5 percent of children between the ages of 4 and 17 years (5.4 million) have been diagnosed as having ADHD.

The likelihood of boys being diagnosed with ADHD is much higher than the likelihood of girls being diagnosed with the condition (13.2 percent boys compared to 5.6 percent girls). The most common, and defining, symptoms of ADHD involve difficulty in staying focused or in paying attention, unruly behavior and hyperactivity. The symptoms usually start during the period of early childhood but continue through the person's adolescence and into adulthood.

There are three different categories of ADHD based on the symptoms, namely:

• Predominantly hyperactive- impulsive
• Predominantly inattentive
• Combined hyperactive- impulsive and inattentive

It has been seen that the majority of children belong to the category of combined hyperactive- impulsive and inattentive type. To be diagnosed with ADHD, a child must have the symptoms of the condition for 6 months or more and the degree of symptoms should be greater than other children belonging to the same age group. In other words, some degree of hyperactivity is considered developmentally appropriate among children, and these kids will not be diagnosed with ADHD. At the same time, many children fail to focus on lessons they find boring, and that won't get them an ADHD diagnosis either. To be diagnosed with ADHD, the child's behavioral patterns have to be atypical.

Symptoms of inattention may include

• Getting distracted easily leading to switching from one activity to another within no time
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Difficulty in completing the task at hand
• Difficulty in turning in homework assignments on time
• Slowing of reflexes
• Difficulty in following instructions clearly and rapidly

Symptoms of hyperactivity include

• Constantly fidgeting or squirming
• Constantly in motion
• Talking relentlessly
• Touching and playing with anything in sight

Symptoms of impulsivity include:

• Blurting out whatever they have in mind without considering about the feelings of others
• Difficulty in waiting for their turn
• Interrupting others in their conversations

As this neurobehavioral disorder is fairly common, scientists have been constantly trying out different methods to cure it. However, at present, there is no permanent cure for ADHD. But there are numerous medications available to take adequate care of the symptoms. After taking these medications, children suffering from ADHD can achieve success in their academic lives. Apart from the routine medications, scientists are trying to find out other means of treating ADHD. For this, they are using innovative tools like brain imaging to understand better the changes taking place in the brain in people with ADHD. This would help them to treat the condition better.