Children who meet criteria for ADHD are known to be prone to all types of injuries ranging from traffic accidents to colliding with objects at home. While most of the studies on ADHD treatment concentrate on symptom reduction and school achievement, the small literature on accidents has been inconclusive. A recent paper published in the […]
What Happened to Concerta?
There is quite a bit of confusion out there about the supply and availability of one of the staple ADHD medications, Concerta, which is the brand name of a long acting preparation of methylphenidate that uses a novel delivery system called OROS (Osmotic [Controlled] Release Oral [Delivery] System) to deliver the medication gradually throughout the […]
Tags: add, adhd, concerta, methylphenidate, ritalin
Type 2 Diabetes Risk with Antipsychotic Medication Treatment Reported at 0.72%
While the metabolic risks associated with antipsychotic medications use are now well known, finding some actual numbers about the risk have been slow to come. A recent study by Nielsen and colleagues published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry offers some specific numbers that can be used when discussing […]
How Well are ADHD Medications (or any Drug) Tested Prior to FDA Approval?
ADHD medications are some of the most common drugs given to children and adolescents. Most clinicians prescribe them within approved FDA indications. Moreover, the existence of an FDA approval often provides some comfort to the prescribing clinician that the medication has received rigorous testing for efficacy and safety. But has it? A recent study in […]
Tags: adhd, psychiatric, psychotropic medications, stimulants
DCF and UVM Create New Program to Improve Antipsychotic Medication Prescribing
A new combined effort between the Vermont Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Vermont Department of Mental Health, and the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program at the Vermont Center for Children, Youth, and Families (VCCYF) will support caseworkers who often need to make complex medical decisions regarding the children under their care. While […]
Tags: antipsychotic, dcf, psychotropic
Vermont Youth Prescribed Fewer Antipsychotic Medications
Newly analyzed data from the Department of Vermont Health Access is revealing important trends regarding psychiatric medication use in Vermont children and adolescents. The data examines Medicaid insured youth who took at least one medication in various classes (antidepressants, ADHD medications, antipsychotics, etc.) over the course of the year, comparing rates between 2009, 2011, and […]
ADHD Diagnosis Rising Nationally, but not in Vermont
The diagnosis of ADHD has been getting a lot of media attention lately over concerns about possible overdiagnosis and overtreatment. A recent study from the CDC’s National Survey of Children’s Health now provides important national statistics regarding the prevalence of ADHD, as reported by parents, and the trends over time. Reports from this survey previously […]
Does Atomoxetine Actually Work? Results from a Recent Meta-Analysis
Atomoxetine was FDA approved for ADHD in 2002 and touted as a true alternative to stimulants. While it remains popular today, many clinicians report less than stellar results in treating the core symptoms of ADHD. This recent review and meta-analysis by Schwartz and Correll examines all randomized controlled studies of atomoxetine versus placebo. While meta-analyses […]
Tags: adhd, atomoxetine, strattera
Vermont 34th in Rate of Stimulant Treatment
The popular press has been abuzz with articles on ADHD, with many suggesting that the diagnosis is much overused and that medication treatment is basically a way that affluent parents give their children an academic advantage. In the midst of all this controversy comes a recent and interesting study in the journal Psychiatric Methods, […]
Parent Training Rated as First Line Treatment for Preschool ADHD
Recent practice guideline from the American Academy of Pediatrics now include a recommendation for assessment and intervention for ADHD before they begin elementary school, but many clinicians are unsure about exactly what treatment to recommend. A recent paper sponsored by the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and published in the the journal JAMA […]