To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: DG DISPATCH - AAN: ADHD Treatments Effective In Patients With Sleeping Disorders URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/F9726.htm Doctor's Guide April 26, 1999
By Cameron Johnston Special to DG News
TORONTO, ON -- April 26, 1999 -- Sleeping disorders are frequently present in people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A new study now suggests that psychostimulants used to treat ADHD do not impair the person's ability to sleep - and in some cases, might actually be beneficial.
The research was presented last week (April 23) at the American Academy of Neurology in Toronto.
When three different psychostimulants - Adderal, Dexedrine and Ritalin -- were used in adults with ADHD (up to half of the children who suffer from ADHD as children will carry the condition into adulthood) the average time for the subjects to fall asleep was reduced by 75 percent compared to the time it took without these drugs.
While there were no significant differences in the rates of sleep disruption whether the subjects took one medication or the other, there were significant differences among patients who took Ritalin four times a day as compared with those who took it five times a day.
According to William Dodson, a Denver, Colorado neurologist who conducted the study, all three medications were equally effective at improving morning waking and alertness, and therefore any of them should be considered for these patients.
Insomnia in these patients should be considered a direct result of the ADHD, and not a primary symptom in and of itself, he said. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.