New findings presented today show that CONCERTA is the only stimulant medication with data that demonstrate a significant treatment effect on attention at one hour and through 12.5 hours in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a common and treatable child behavioral problem characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity(1) that is estimated to affect about 5 million children(2) in the United States.
McNeil Pediatrics(TM), Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., presented the data at the U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress (Poster 303: Time Course of Treatment Effect of Concerta® [OROS® Methylphenidate] in Children with ADHD).
“Untreated ADHD symptoms can present challenges throughout a child’s day, so new findings on onset and duration of effect are important to understand,” said Matthew Brams*, M.D., a practicing psychiatrist in Houston, Clinical Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine and an investigator who participated in one of the studies. “There’s benefit in medication that acts quickly and lasts through the day, providing treatment coverage when a child may need it in the early morning, through the activities of the day and into the early evening hours.”
The results presented today showed significant improvements in attention with CONCERTA® versus placebo as measured by a validated, time-sensitive math test administered throughout the day.
At one hour post-dose, subjects who received CONCERTA® attempted 38 percent more math problems compared with baseline (from 75.8 problems attempted before treatment to 104.4 problems attempted after treatment), while those receiving placebo showed no change from baseline (from 80.6 problems attempted before treatment to 80 problems attempted after treatment).
The results were statistically significant throughout the study’s interim time points, from the first testing point at one hour after dosing (p<0.0001) through to the final assessment at 12.5 hours (p<0.0001). Accuracy, as measured by percentage of problems correct, was similar for both treatment groups and was consistent across the period of observation (placebo, 92.1 percent to 93.5 percent and CONCERTA®, 94.0 percent to 94.3 percent).
Sometimes when parents encounter outlandish behavior from their children it is easy to tag it as ADHD and that there is a need for immediate medication. But hold your horses. Make sure to really tag the source of the problem and not use ADHD and medication as an easy way out.
Child behavior problems can be dealt with an emotional and social response - and not rely on medication. Medications, after all, are not fool-proof. They may work for one test subject and not respond to another. Moreover, the medications will not change the behavior of children in a flash. They will just change specific chemical equations in the body.
However, if your doctor decides that medication is the way to go, then closely follow the medication schedule and observe for any changes in your child. Positive results which you should be on the lookout for should be for increased focus in tasks such as homeworks. However, if it seems that your child just becomes unemotional even more, then it may be time to rethink the approach.
Remember that medication is not a shortcut for adult supervision. Your child should be surrounded by care, concern and firm education. For all you know, this just may be a phase for your child.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or simply ADHD refers to set of child behavior problems which concern poor attention span. It is crucial to immediately distinguish normal activity with ADHD in order to prevent socializing problems with your child.
Among the traits exhibited by children with ADHD include restlessness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Although there is a normal level of curiosity and playfulness in children, ADHD takes it into a new level which prevents them to develop normally emotional quotient (EQ) skills.
ADHD delves on the neurobehavioral development of children and is said to affect three to five percent of children in the world especially by the age of seven years old. It is said to occur twice as more frequently in boys than in girls. It is also observed to be strongly tied in genetics.
Among the other difficulties children can experience together with ADHD are anxiety problems and clinical depressions for children as they grow older. It can also go into the extreme and develop into confrontational defiance or conduct disorders.
The causes of ADHD are not as clear-cut in its sources but many experts have pointed to biological factors such as the temperament of the child. Environmental factors have also been tagged with stress and environmental difficulties.
Treatments for ADHD are available in the form of management techniques initiated by parents and teachers, medication, educational treatments and even diet. But eventually children tend to outgrow it through adulthood - although some symptoms may persist like lack of attention.
