New research discovers that college students who misuse stimulant drugs are more likely to have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder, or a substance-use disorder than students not misusing stimulants. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators also found that immediate-release stimulants are more likely to be misused than extended-release versions of the drugs.

"In line with extensive preclinical data, we provide the first evidence, to our knowledge, that methylphenidate treatment during a specific period of maturation alters the cerebral blood flow response, likely reflecting increased dopamine neurotransmission due to neurochemical imprinting by methylphenidate," the authors, led by Liesbeth Reneman, MD, PhD, Brain Imaging Center at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, report."In the short term, these alterations do not induce major benefits or harm regarding clinical improvement, but the long-term consequences remain to be established," they add.

Autism shares genetic roots with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)...The first comparison of brain architecture across these conditions has found that all are associated with disruptions in the structure of the corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is a bundle of nerve fibers that links the brain’s left and right hemispheres. The results appeared July 1 in the American Journal of Psychiatry."

Findings based upon publicly-insured children from 2001 to 2010. More Medicaid-covered children are receiving treatments that conform to practice standards for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including the use of combined medication and psychotherapy, according to a study published in the July issue of Health Affairs.

The list of symptoms for kids who have ADHD reads like a recipe for problems in school...Increasing academic demands have only made it harder for kids with ADHD, argues Dr. Jeffrey Brosco, professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. With kids spending more time preparing for standardized tests and less time playing at recess, Brosco says the rate of ADHD in children has doubled since the 1970s.

According to the American Psychological Association more than two million prescriptions are filed for Ritalin each year – many of these are for school-aged children suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)...research suggests Ritalin can be used to treat more than just ADHD. Its positive effect on the nervous system means other conditions can also be treated with this medication. We did some digging and found three other uses of Ritalin."