ADHD medication in children - Essay Example

ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD) MEDICATION IN CHILDREN Introduction Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) pertains to a pediatric psychiatric condition that is characterized by the significant loss of attention. It has been estimated that approximately 3 - 7% of children have been diagnosed to have ADHD in the United States alone (Hammerness et al., 2009). These children also experience impulsivity, as well as hyperactivity, resulting in difficulty in controlling their actions in both home and school. One of the hallmark features of ADHD is the impairment of a child's cognitive, as well as psychosocial, capacity. These features are mainly due to the fact that these young individuals are unable to focus on their activities and an incapable of interacting with other individuals in their immediate environment. To date, there are a number of medical treatments that have been made available to patients who have been positively diagnosed with ADHD. Unfortunately, a spectrum of effects has been documented on the administration of ADHD medications among children. This report will describe the ADHD condition and enumerate the risks associated with the pharmacologic treatment of ADHD among young patients. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is generally regarded as an impairment of the capacity of an individual to focus on a particular activity (Svanborg et al., 2009). The disorder is usually diagnosed at an early age, specifically during elementary schooling when the teacher finds difficulty of a student to pay attention to daily lessons in class. In addition, the student is also commonly observed to be unable to complete classroom tasks. The teacher often calls the attention of the parents and suggests that their child be subjected to an assessment for ADHD. Once the child is positively diagnosed with ADHD, the physician attending to the young patient provides a scenario of possible treatment plans that could possibly alleviate the symptoms of ADHD. Diagnosis of ADHD is commonly performed using cognitive tests, such as the ADHD Rating Scale or the Clinical Global Impression tool. Both tests were designed to provide the physician with a list of symptoms that could be checked in the young patient. These questionnaires are then quantified and the specific threshold has been established, delineating which young patients are affected with ADHD. There are also other assessment tools that are employed by other psychologists and physicians, namely the Child Health Questionnaire, as well as the Child Health and Illness Profile-Child Edition. These tests have the capacity to evaluate the dimensions of the quality of life of the young patient and ultimately assess the degree of ADHD. Once ADHD has been positively diagnosed, it is often suggested that the young patient be subjected to at least two treatment regimens. The first treatment plan involves the administration of ADHD medications that would alleviate the young patient's capacity to focus on his daily activities and interactions with other people. There are currently a number of pharmacologic formulations that are commercially available to ADHD patients. The second treatment regimen involves psychiatric counseling, involving both the young patient, as well as the members of the family. During counseling, the parents and other members of the family are educated on the proper methods of assisting the young patient during home and school activities. These lessons are designed to provide information on how to deal and to cope with the specific features that are associated with ADHD. Pharmacologic treatment of ADHD The most common medications that have been administered to children who have been positively diagnosed with ADHD include methylphenidae and dexamphetamine (Wigal et al., 2009). These formulations are classified as stimulatory drugs that would generally result in the increase in the attention and focus of an individual. Another medication that is considered as a non-stimulatory formulation is atomoxetine (Hammerness et al., 2009). The drug is now the preferred treatment for ADHD among children, due to the ease in its effectiveness and the physiological safety to the human body. Unfortunately, the number of research reports that describe the complications with regards to the administration of ADHD drugs is growing. One of most pressing complications associated with pharmacologic treatment of ADHD among children is the method of assessment of the quality of life of children with ADHD. It should be understood that the diagnosis of ADHD is initially conducted through the use of an assessment tool. Subsequent assessment of these young individuals is often linked to the same assessment tools and thus it is possible that the young patients have learned to interact with the psychiatrist or physician during routine visits. It is thus highly likely that the ADHD children have learned how to respond to their psychiatrist and thus this conditioned response may not fully indicate whether the pharmacologic treatment is indeed effective for ADHD. Another complication associated with the pharmacologic treatment of ADHD involves the differential rating or assessment of the children based on different individuals. In terms of the parents' perception of their ADHD child, the administration of a therapeutic drug may seem effective, while the rating of the psychiatrist or nurse may be perceived an unresponsive. The opposite assessment may also occur, wherein the psychiatrist or physician may feel that the medication is not effective for treating the child, while the parents may feel that the drug is indeed helpful to their child. The entire condition may also be further complicated when the child with ADHD is interviewed with regards to how they feel after taking the medication for a specific period of time. A common description that is often expressed with young children is that they feel much better when they started taking the drug, while the parents express their concern that their child remained the same. It is thus possible that the assessment tool that is often employed during follow-up consultations with the psychiatrist is insufficient in detecting any improvements or deterioration of ADHD. These assessment tools are also largely subjective, encompassing physical, as well as social aspects of the child. Physiologic effects of ADHD drugs have also been reported in a number of medical publications. The stimulatory medications for ADHD often results in the lack of sleep among children, as these drugs increase the attention and alertness of the young individual (Meijer et al., 2009). The general lack of sleep often results in the decrease in the quality of activities of the young individual at school, as their brains have loss a significant amount of rest during the previous evening. The lack of sleep also results in the decrease in rate of growth and development among young ADHD individuals, as the production of growth hormone is hindered from the lack of sleep. The loss of sleep hours among ADHD children may also lower the capacity of the immune system of the body, thus increasing the risk to various infections and other diseases. There are also reports wherein young ADHD individuals have lost their appetite during meals, possibly due to the administration of these stimulatory drugs. It should be understood that the same type of drugs are illegally taken by individuals who would like to rapidly lose weight. The incidence of the loss of appetite among ADHD children is quite alarming, ranging from 13 to 60% in different medical reports. Conclusions With the growing number of reports on the side effects of the use of ADHD drugs among children, it is thus important to thoroughly review the effectiveness of pharmacologic treatment regimens. In addition, there is also a need to review the assessment tools in diagnosing ADHD, as it may be possible that counseling alone may be effective in modifying the attention of these young individuals. These efforts may decrease the morbidity and complications that are often reported from the intake of medications for the treatment of ADHD. References Dittmann, R.W., Wehmeier, P.M., Schacht, A., Minarzyk, A., Lehmann, M., Sevecke, K. and Lehmkuhl, G. (2009). Atomoxetine treatment and ADHD-related difficulties as assessed by adolescent patients, their parents and physicians. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 3, 21-36. Hammerness, P., McCarthy, K., Mancuso, K., Gendron, C. and Geller, D. (2009). Atomoxetine for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: A review. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 5,215-226. Meijer, W.M., Faber, A., van den Ban, E. and Tobi, H. (2009). Current issues around the pharmacotherapy of ADHD in children and adults. Pharmacology and World Science, 31, 509-516. Svanborg, P., Thernlund, G., Gustafsson, P.A., Hagglof, B., Schacht, A. and Kadesjo, B. (2009). Atomoxetine improves patient and family coping in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in Swedish children and adolescents. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 18, 725-735. Wigal, S.B., Kollins, S.H., Childress, S.C. and Squires, L. (2009). A 13-hour laboratory school study of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate in school-aged children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 3, 17-33. Read More