The American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting on June 20 provided updates on the latest research, opinions and industry practices for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, the Psychiatric Times reported on June 21.
- Thomas Brown, PhD, of the Brown Clinic for ADHD and Related Disorders and the University of California-Riverside School of Medicine, spoke on ADHD:
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is not a problem of motivation.
- People of all ages can be affected.
- "Every patient I've ever seen with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder has a few activities in which they have no difficulty utilizing their executive functions, but has a lot of difficulty with doing almost everything else. It comes down to that one phrase: if I'm interested," Dr. Brown said at the meeting.
- Dr. Brown's recommended tools for assessing patients for ADHD:
- Semi-structured clinical interviews with the patient and a parent.
- Teacher reports on the performance of students diagnosed with ADHD.
- Standardized ADHD rating scales such as the Behavior Assessment System for Children and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function; and others.
2. Ryan Kennedy, DNP, of the Brown Clinic for ADHD and Related Disorders, spoke on pharmaceutical treatments for patients with ADHD.
- When selecting medications for treatment, there are important factors to consider:
- Previous medical trials
- Growth and appetite
- Polypharmacy
- Metabolism
- Comorbidity of other medications and diagnoses
- Cost and/or insurance
- Body chemistry
- Best monitoring practices