ADULT ADHD

Course overview

Learning Objectives Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to: 1.Review our current history and epidemiology of ADHD. 2.Evaluate the diagnostic criteria for ADHD. 3.Discuss current pharmacologic interventions for the treatment of ADHD. A major recent advance in the treatment of adults has been the advent of longer-acting stimulant preparations; their longer duration of effect better suits the extended day of adults with ADHD as compared with shorter-acting agents. It should be noted that currently available medications for adults are being prescribed off-label; they were specifically developed for children, and their use has been extended to adults (which is actually the reverse of the medication development process for most agents). This off-label characterization, in addition to the schedule II nature of stimulants, may in part account for the some of the lack of comfort primary care physicians express in treating adults with ADHD (Thomas Spencer, personal communication, September 2002). Future development of novel agents is likely to offer wider treatment options to physicians and patients alike. We will review in this manuscript the history, epidemiology, diagnostic considerations, related impairments, and treatment considerations for adults with ADHD, with a special focus on issues pertinent to primary care clinicians.