These observational studies also showed positive correlations between early recognition of the disorder , stimulant treatment during childhood and favorable long-term outcome in adult ADHD patients .
In conclusion , stimulant therapy of ADHD has long-term beneficial effects and is well tolerated .
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) is a common disorder of childhood that often persists into adulthood .
Although stimulant medications are recommended as the first-line treatment for ADHD because of their documented short-term effects in children and adults , less is known about their effects on long-term outcome in adults .
Here we review the long-term efficacy and safety of the stimulant drugs methylpheni date and amphetamine , as well as the related compound atomoxetine .
We performed a systematic review to identify direct and indirect effects of stimulant therapy on long-term outcome in adults .
Do Stimulants Protect Against Psychiatric Disorders in Youth With ADHD? A 10-Year Follow-up Study
OBJECTIVE : Little is known about the effect of stimulant treatment in youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) on the subsequent development of comorbid psychiatric disorders . We tested the association between stimulant treatment and the subsequent development of psychiatric comorbidity in a longitudinal sample of patients with ADHD . METHODS : We conducted a case-control , 10-year prospect i ve follow-up study into young-adult years of youth with ADHD . At baseline , we assessed consecutively referred white male children with ( n = 140 ) and without ( n = 120 ) ADHD , aged 6 to 18 years . At the 10-year follow-up , 112 ( 80 % ) and 105 ( 88 % ) of the children in the ADHD and control groups , respectively , were reassessed ( mean age : 22 years ) . We examined the association between stimulant treatment in childhood and adolescence and subsequent comorbid disorders and grade retention by using proportional hazards survival models . RESULTS : Of the 112 participants with ADHD , 82 ( 73 % ) were previously treated with stimulants .  Participants with ADHD who were treated with stimulants were significantly less likely to subsequently develop depressive and anxiety disorders and disruptive behavior and less likely to repeat a grade compared with participants with ADHD who were not treated . CONCLUSIONS : We found evidence that stimulant treatment decreases the risk for subsequent comorbid psychiatric disorders and academic failure in youth with ADHD
These observational studies also showed positive correlations between early recognition of the disorder , stimulant treatment during childhood and favorable long-term outcome in adult ADHD patients .
In conclusion , stimulant therapy of ADHD has long-term beneficial effects and is well tolerated .
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) is a common disorder of childhood that often persists into adulthood .
Although stimulant medications are recommended as the first-line treatment for ADHD because of their documented short-term effects in children and adults , less is known about their effects on long-term outcome in adults .
Here we review the long-term efficacy and safety of the stimulant drugs methylpheni date and amphetamine , as well as the related compound atomoxetine .
We performed a systematic review to identify direct and indirect effects of stimulant therapy on long-term outcome in adults .