Multimodal treatment for childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Expert Rev Neurother. 2008 Oct;8(10):1573-83. doi: 10.1586/14737175.8.10.1573.

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood disorders, characterized by developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity. These core symptoms lead to impairment in home, school and peer contexts. Evidence-based treatments for ADHD include medication management (generally with stimulant medications), behavioral interventions (such as behavioral parent training, school consultation, and direct contingency management), or the combination of pharmacological and behavioral approaches. This review outlines each of these treatment strategies, reviews the rationale and evidence base currently existing for the use of multimodal rather than unimodal treatments (i.e., medication or behavioral intervention alone), and discusses potential moderators of multimodal treatment efficacy, as well as future directions for research, that may better inform clinical practice.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / therapy*
  • Central Nervous System Stimulants / administration & dosage*
  • Child
  • Clinical Trials as Topic / trends*
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / methods*
  • Combined Modality Therapy / methods
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male

Substances

  • Central Nervous System Stimulants