A review of medications used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Keywords:
developmental disorder, medical treatment guidelines, stimulants, pharmacokinetic parameters, determination of optimal dosage regimenAbstract
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common developmental disorders in children and adolescents with core symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity andinattention. Atomoxetine, immediate-release methylphenidate and extended release methylphenidate are approved for use in patients with ADHD in Slovenia. In addition, ADHD is also treated off-label with bupropion, tricyclic antidepressants and some other drugs. According to the recently adopted American and European guidelines, pharmacotherapy includes the initial, maintenance and terminal phase. Consideration of pharmacokinetic parameters of the selected drugs and potential drug-drug interactions, if the patient is taking other medications, helps to reduce symptoms of ADHD, and improves the selection of drug and appropriate dosing regimen. Clinical outcomes should be measured by standardised questionnaires. The drug of choice is methylphenidate. Guidelines for the treatment of ADHD should also include recommendations on psychosocial treatments and destigmatization of patients with this disorder. In this paper, pharmacotherapy guidelines for patients with ADHD are highlighted.Downloads
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
The Author transfers to the Publisher (Slovenian Medical Association) all economic copyrights following form Article 22 of the Slovene Copyright and Related Rights Act (ZASP), including the right of reproduction, the right of distribution, the rental right, the right of public performance, the right of public transmission, the right of public communication by means of phonograms and videograms, the right of public presentation, the right of broadcasting, the right of rebroadcasting, the right of secondary broadcasting, the right of communication to the public, the right of transformation, the right of audiovisual adaptation and all other rights of the author according to ZASP.
The aforementioned rights are transferred non-exclusively, for an unlimited number of editions, for the term of the statutory
The Author can make use of his work himself or transfer subjective rights to others only after 3 months from date of first publishing in the journal Zdravniški vestnik/Slovenian Medical Journal.
The Publisher (Slovenian Medical Association) has the right to transfer the rights of acquired parties without explicit consent of the Author.
The Author consents that the Article be published under the Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0 (attribution-non-commercial) or comparable licence.
