00:00
Well, we have pharmacotherapy for ADHD. That is very effective. They are stimulants.
00:07
Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors even for children who are over 6, not for children
under 6. And we have alpha-2 agonists as well as antidepressants. All of these are used
to support recovery and behavioral self-control for the person who has ADHD.
00:26
Pharmacotherapy should always be used together with psychosocial and educational
supports. Both psychostimulants and non-stimulant drugs adjust the catecholaminergic
neurotransmissions which have been identified as being low in persons who have ADHD.
00:48
One of the important aspects that I found with psychopharmacotherapy for kids with
ADHD is there's oftentimes resistance from parents who don't want their children to be
medicated. What we know about medicating a child with ADHD is that it reduces their
likelihood of being bullied because they then have self-determined behavior. They are
able to engage. And the medications that they take especially the psychostimulants
have very short half-lives. And so what we have to remember is that a parent who
decides they'll only give them, for example, Ritalin from Monday to Friday and take them
off on the weekend is actually setting up their child for failure in social situations because
the child's ability to focus, to engage, and to accomplish tasks is directly related to the
chemical balancing in their brain which is achieved with the use of the stimulant and if
you take it away, that short half-life by noon on Saturday the child has all of the same
behavioral and emotional components of ADHD right back. So as I said, pharmacotherapy
for ADHD, the stimulants are very effective. By increasing the dopamine levels, they
boost the student's concentration and they also lessen the impulsive hyperactive
behaviors. And a number of stimulants are used mostly in the amphetamine family like
dextroamphetamine sulfate and methamphetamine, but these stimulants all boost that
dopamine level and by doing that they increase concentration and decrease impulsive
hyperactive behaviors. The norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, those are for children
who are over the age of 6. You might have heard of Strattera, atomoxetine, that blocks
the presynaptic norepinephrine transmitter or NET in the brain and it inhibits serotonin
reuptake and that's done thru the binding to selective serotonin transporter. We also
use alpha-agonists. What do the alpha-agonists do? They decrease impulsivity, insomnia,
and they increase emotional regulation and they work best when they are used in
combination with a stimulant and that might be clonidine or guanfacine.