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University of Virginia Researchers Find Better Answers to ADHD Drugs for Kids

Summary: Drug prescriptions for children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have skyrocketed in the 1990s, said a study published February 23 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Controversy exists over the validity of ADHD diagnosis-by-observation and the safety of prescribing behavior-modifying drugs for children.

  • New U.Va. Study Measures ADHD: Current research at the U.Va. Health System is measuring children's brain waves during task-shifting, the first test of its kind in the United States. These measurements may allow ADHD to be objectively diagnosed for the first time and more safely treated. The research model grew from NASA studies of jet fighter pilots.

    Preliminary studies show stable brain waves in a non-ADHD child when moving attention from task to task, but chaotic brain waves in children with ADHD, said principal investigator Daniel Cox. This larger, one-year study includes 80 subjects.

    Contact: Cox, phone: (804) 924-8021, email: djc4f@virginia.edu.
    Bio: Director of the Behavioral Medicine Center and professor, Division of Psychiatric Medicine; has led several studies on ADHD diagnosis and effects of Ritalin in children and adults.

  • Guidelines for Prescribing ADHD Drugs: The U.Va. Division of Developmental Pediatrics is researching medication guidelines for hyperactive children. Dr. James A. Blackman, director of research and professor of pediatrics, is compiling an on-line program for primary-care physicians, Informed Prescription of Stimulant Drugs for ADHD, to be launched this year.

    We advise primary care physicians to consider a patient's age and other factors before prescribing stimulant drugs for ADHD, and encourage family counseling as an essential part of ADHD therapy, Blackman said.

    Contact: Dr. Blackman, phone: (804) 982-1676, e-mail: jab5u@virginia.edu.
    Bio: Research focuses on pediatric muscle-relaxant drugs, developmental disabilities and high-risk preschoolers; president-elect of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine.

    February 25, 2000