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- Global Use of ADHD Medications Rises Dramatically
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March 6, 2007
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Science Update
Global use of medications that treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) nearly tripled from 1993 to 2003, and spending on the drugs rose nine-fold, according to a study co-funded by NIMH and published in the March/April 2007 issue of Health Affairs.
- Preschoolers with ADHD Improve with Low Doses of Medication
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October 16, 2006
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Press Release
The first long-term, large-scale study designed to determine the safety and effectiveness of treating preschoolers who have attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with methylphenidate (Ritalin) has found that overall, low doses of this medication are effective and safe.
- Brain Changes Mirror Symptoms in ADHD
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July 19, 2006
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Science Update
The severity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in youth appears to be reflected in their brain structure, recent NIMH-supported brain imaging studies are finding.
- Harvard Study Suggests Significant Prevalence of ADHD Symptoms Among Adults
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April 1, 2006
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Science Update
A recent NIMH-funded survey tracking the prevalence of attention deficit/hyperactivity symptoms found that an estimated 4.4 percent of adults ages 18-44 in the United States experience symptoms and some disability.
- ADHD Medication Use Held Steady in Recent Years
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April 1, 2006
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Science Update
The results of a study conducted by researchers at the Agency of Healthcare Research Quality and the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health indicate that the prevalence of stimulant use among U.S. children for treating symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) remained relatively constant between 1997 and 2002.
- Gene Enhances Prefrontal Function at a Price
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May 7, 2003
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Press Release
Studies of a gene that affects how efficiently the brain’s frontal lobes process information are revealing some untidy consequences of a tiny variation in its molecular structure and how it may increase susceptibility to schizophrenia.
- Brain Shrinkage in ADHD Not Caused by Medications
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October 8, 2002
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Press Release
A 10-year study by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) scientists has found that brains of children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are 3-4 percent smaller than those of children who don't have the disorder—and that medication treatment is not the cause.
- Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders: Are Children Being Overmedicated?
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September 26, 2002
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Press Release
ADHD is the most extensively studied mental disorder of children, with several thousands of peer–reviewed papers in the scientific literature devoted to this topic. ADHD—which affects an estimated 3-5 percent or 2 million young school-age children and an unknown number of teenagers and adults—refers to a family of related chronic neurobiological disorders that interfere with an individual’s capacity to regulate activity level, inhibit behavior, and attend to tasks in developmentally appropriate ways.
