ADHD and Stimulant treatment

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Over the last two decades, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has emerged as the most commonly diagnosed neurobehavioral disorder in children and adolescents. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is characterized by a delay in cortical maturation. The cortical maturation delay in ADHD is most prevalent in the lateral prefrontal cortex. The lateral prefrontal cortex supports such cognitive functions as the ability to suppress inappropriate responses and thoughts, executive control of attention, evaluation of reward contingencies, and working memory (Shaw et al., 2007). Although predominantly ADHD is diagnosed in children, adults can be diagnosed as well. ADHD can affect all facets of ones life including things such as education, work and social interaction. ADHD Symptoms include poor concentration, restlessness, and impatient, impulsive, hyperactive behaviors. Those diagnosed with ADHD may have difficultly controlling impulsive behavior, paying attention or be overly active. There is no cure for ADHD. However, there are various treatments that can help successfully manage the disorder. Stimulant medication is the most commonly used treatment for ADHD. Stimulants produce a variety of effects by enhancing the activity of the peripheral and central nervous systems. This paper examines the effects and effectiveness of using stimulants to treat ADHD.
What is The Most Effective Method For Treating ADHD?
There are various methods used to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Stimulant medication therapy proves to be the most effective treatment for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), significantly improving symptoms and moderately improving academic achievement. Based on multiple randomized contr...

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...arch was done well. I think the fact that they compared stimulant and non-stimulant groups to each other as well as a non-ADHD group help validate the research. However, I think the naturalistic follow-up design used by the researchers presented limitations. Because the environment couldn’t be controlled, they couldn’t be certain what factors were influencing the results being observed. This is why I strongly agree with the articles conclusion that the degree of improvement will vary as a function of multiple factors. There are so many different factors that could have an effect on a persons GPA or WIAT-II test. For example, a person could have been having a bad day when taking the WIAT-II test or they could have been dealing with family issues at home throughout high school which could have an effect on there GPA score. That was the main limitation in the study.

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