[Evidence-based treatment of ADHD/DAMP in children and adolescents with central stimulants]

The use of stimulants in the treatment of children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD, and Deficit in Attention, Motor Control and Perception, DAMP, is often considered somewhat controversial. It was first used in 1937, and since the 1960s, 3000 published studies and 250 reviews have demonstrated the positive, short-term effect of stimulants on children and adolescents with ADHD/DAMP. More than 160 randomised, controlled trials (RCT) have studied the effect of attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Furthermore, stimulants have proved effective on the social relation of such children, both in their families and in with their peers. Side effects are often mild, transient and dose-related. The short-term effectiveness of stimulants is thus well-documented and their prescription evidence-based, whereas further studies on the long-term effect are needed.