Review of ADHD pharmacotherapies: advantages, disadvantages, and clinical pearls.

Pharmacotherapy for the treatment of attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) originally consisted primarily of stimulant medications in immediate-release preparations dosed multiple times per day. Data demonstrating the efficacy of these stimulant medications for the treatment of ADHD and their role in treating children was well established by the 1970s. Multiple formulations of the stimulant medications have subsequently been developed during the past 40 years. Recent studies, including the NIMH Collaborative Multisite Multimodal Treatment Study of Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and the Preschool ADHD Treatment Study, have helped to clarify the role of stimulant medications in the treatment of ADHD. Significant data supporting the use of nonstimulant pharmacotherapy have also emerged in the last decade. This review summarizes the recent advances in ADHD treatment, providing advantages, disadvantages, and clinical pearls for the use of these treatments. SHORT-ACTING STIMULANT PREPARATIONS