Another expert had a more mixed reaction to the studies.
"This study provides reassuring evidence that medication is not just blunting hyperactivity or enhancing alertness but actually doing so in a way that protects the capacity to learn," noted Dr. David Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn.
But drugs may not be the total answer, he added.
"Ritalin works but is not a desirable alternative to recess, which could perhaps work, too, in some cases at least," Katz said. "We need more attention to the underlying reasons for the rising prevalence of ADHD. Is it lack of physical activity; the highly processed modern diet; the over-stimulation of a multimedia environment; or all of the above?" he wondered.
More information
For more on ADHD, visit the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.
SOURCES: William Barbaresi, M.D., pediatrician, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minn.; Andrew Adesman, M.D., chief, developmental and behavioral pediatrics, Schneider Children's Hospital, New York City; David L. Katz, director, Prevention Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.; September 2007, Journal of Development & Behavioral Pediatrics
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