Medication and psychosocial treatment can help children with ADHD

New York. Medication and psychosocial treatments combined can help children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – a neurodevelopmental disorder – get better, according to a review of studies published Monday. A study led by researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) More than 23,000 publications were reviewed. The results, published in two companion papers in the journal Pediatrics, reveal the most appropriate method for effective diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. The review also pointed out shortcomings in the research, including “Parents, teachers, and providers need evidence-based information about ADHD.

We included only the strongest studies in our review, which enabled us to make strong evidence statements, said Suzanne Hempel, professor of clinical population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Many currently diagnosed ADHD The study is conducted using a variety of tools, “including parent and teacher rating scales, patient self-report, neuropsychological testing, EEG approaches, imaging, biomarkers, activity monitoring, and observation.” The team also tested several medications for ADHD. Rigorously tested, including stimulants and non-stimulants, as well as psychosocial approaches such as behavior modification.

Cognitive training, neurofeedback, physical exercise, nutrition and supplements, parent support and school intervention were other non-drug treatments that researchers analyzed for the study. The Institute for the Developing Mind at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) “The medications have the strongest evidence for improving not only ADHD symptoms, but also other problems that often accompany ADHD, such as oppositional and disruptive behavior,” said director Bradley Peterson. The lead author of the review. “The bottom line: ADHD is treatable. “There are a lot of studies that can show us that kids can get better at all,” Hempel said. The team said the findings will help update the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) clinical practice guidelines for ADHD. .