New research suggests ADHD meds may not help in the long run

A series of studies following 457 Finnish children from birth to ages 16 to 18 offers a glimpse of how the primary symptoms of ADHD typically evolve. At the same time, the studies raise provocative questions about the long-term effect of treating those symptoms with medication.

The studies focus on a subset of 188 Finnish teens considered to have "probable or definite ADHD" that will follow them into adulthood and 103 kids with conduct disorder -- behavior issues that fall short of an ADHD diagnosis but put kids at higher risk for similar problems. Those teens were compared with a group of Finnish teens with no ADHD diagnosis.

Researchers found it is the can't-sit-still kids -- the stereotype of the "ADHD generation" -- who are most likely to mature out of the disease. Among those with persistent ADHD, they also found, have problems with cognitive skills that are key to success in adulthood, but half have no such deficits.

And when researchers compare the findings from Finland to studies of Americans with ADHD, an even more intriguing discovery emerges: By the time they're in their late teens, those who receive drugs for attention problems seem to fare about the same as those who do not.

"This begs the question: Are current treatments really leading to improved outcome over time?' " wrote UCLA neuropsychologist Susan L. Smalley and co-author Dr. Marjo-Riitta Järvelin in a special section of December's Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

UCLA neuroscientist Robert Bilder, who was not involved in the Finnish research, said the studies suggest that ADHD might best be treated, in some kids, by shoring up weaknesses in underlying cognitive skills rather than by focusing exclusively on behavioral symptoms that can change with age.

"We all hope in the future we'll find the optimal combination of treatments -- whether behavioral or pharmacological -- that'll provide young people with these problems the best chance to succeed in school and social environments," Bilder said. "It's clear so far that no treatment's been identified that's a panacea."

Bonnie - this story appeared in the LA Times. I bet the parents and their children who have been on these medications for years are ecstatic about this recent research.