Amphetamines For Kids Research Paper

In this day and age, drugs are being prescribed without hesitation. In fact, many of these drugs are being prescribed for children with various disorders. One of these disorders is called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). An estimated five to ten percent of children are diagnosed with this syndrome (Taylor 11). One of the methods to treat this disorder is to use stimulants, specifically Ritalin. This method is controversial because it has many side effects and its long-term effects are unknown. It can also lead to addiction. Approximately two to three percent of elementary school children are taking some kind of stimulant to treat ADHD (Taylor 64). Since so many children are taking this medication, new problems have arisen.

According to an article about the side effects of ADHD medication on Psych Central, the younger the child, the worse the side effects will be. Any child aged seven to nineteen are four to five times more likely to die of unexplained cardiac arrest due to the amounts of adderall and dexedrine in the ADHD medication. Among the many drugs used to treat the disorder, Ritalin is one of the most common. Although this medication is developing a negative reputation after the number of deaths found linked to this Stimulant. One story of a boy named Matthew, his last name is not released to the public, died at the age of 14 due to cardiac arrest caused by his ADHD medication, Methylphenidate, also known as Ritalin. Side effects from any behavior stimulant can cause side effects such as; panic attacks, insomnia, new or worsening depression/anxiety, violent mood swings, mania, etc. All of which are much worse when given to a younger child compared to an adult. The side effects of this medication whether it be needed or not can be very dangerous which is why many children should not be taking it unless it is drastically

There are many Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medications in the pharmaceutical world. All ADHD medications have their differences and similarities. Two of the most popular and widely-used medications to treat ADHD are Adderall and Concerta. These two medications are very similar in producing the same effect on a person with ADHD; however, these medications are made very differently. These medications today are in high demand because the number of ADHD diagnoses is increasing in people today. As of 2011 11% of children ages 4-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD. Kids who are diagnosed with ADHD will most likely take Adderall, Concerta or any other ADHD medication for the rest of their life.,

Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adulthood. This disorder is characterized by difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior and hyperactivity. In children, the long term effects of psychotropic medications are unknown and lead to a number of precipitating factors. Choosing the right medication, dose and treatment plan should be based on each child’s individual needs and situation. Some of the medications used to manage symptoms of ADHD are Ritalin and Adderall. These two drugs have been around for a while; however, Vyvanse, Strattera, and Concerta are new drugs that have been proven to help with ADHD symptoms.

This academic journal is written by Shaheen E. Lakhan. (source and author) The point of this segment was to test how people react to prescriptive stimulants. Those who have ADHD and those who do not. (summary) This source is helpful to my research because it compares the effects on students that take adderall, prescribed to them or not. (relevance)

Medication for ADHD can cause a great deal of overdose for children that have ADHD. Their bodies will get addicted to the medication when they cannot do without them. If a patient stop taking it, their bodies will shut –down and start reacting in a strange way. These hidden symptoms can cause behavioral analysis that can evaluate the effect in medication that has form in the children body. It all starts from genetics, which cause ADHD, so it can be diagnose from the medication that can help the situation. This could be a good thing or a bad situation. The real risk factor of taking medication could start at birth or afterbirth.

Being able to find answers, and enlightening material without searching through a plethora of biased data can relieve concerns as well as offer hope. The Mayo Clinic’s website is inviting to those who come looking to research ADHD. The website’s format is open and easily understandable. The sub-categories are listed on the left side of the webpage. They include the most common topics including symptoms, treatments, complications, and most important a comprehensible definition. There is an abundance of statistical information on alternative medication that is not usually found when researching Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. “But ADHD medication is seldom all that's needed to control oppositional behavior”(Flippin, 2015). The website also has a limited amount purchasable advertisements. The information listed fit into each subcategory

According to the Surgeon General website, “Because the symptoms of ADHD respond well to treatment with stimulants, and because stimulants increase the availability of the neurotransmitter dopamine, the “dopamine hypothesis” has gained a wide following. The dopamine hypothesis posits that ADHD is due to inadequate availability of dopamine in the central nervous system. The neurotransmitter dopamine plays a key role in initiating purposive movement, increasing motivation and alertness, reducing appetite, and inducing insomnia, effects that are often seen when a child responds well to methylphenidate. The dopamine hypothesis has thus driven much of the recent research into the causes of ADHD.” (Surgeon General website). It does make sense that neurotransmitters are involved, since the mechanism of medications that seem to effectively reduce the symptoms of ADHD impacts the neurotransmitters. This may explain why these medications are effective for many people

(“ADD”) (Kinman). This is because children with ADHD have a lower brain volume than children who do not, especially in regions of the brain responsible for attention and emotion (Kinman). Dopamine and norepinephrine are neurotransmitters that help send messages between areas of brain associated with attention and motivation. The brain of a person with ADHD may have less of these chemicals available. This may explain why someone with ADHD has trouble paying attention or performing repetitive tasks. (Kinman) When people with ADHD are prescribed methylphenidate (a stimulant), it helps increase the amount of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. This increase in the level of neurotransmitters seems to improve attentiveness and motivation. Inattentive type symptoms include daydreaming, becoming easily confused, having difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others, seeming not to listen when spoken to, and more. Hyperactive-impulsive type symptoms may include fidgeting, talking nonstop, have trouble sitting still for sustained periods of time, being very impatient and

Many drugs have been developed to treat ADD and ADHD. One of these drugs is Methylphenidate otherwise known as Ritalin. It is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for treatment of ADD and ADHD. Use of Ritalin is up 700 percent since 1990 (ABC News). Other drugs also used in treatment of ADD and ADHD include Zoloft, Praxil, and Cylert. Ritalin is a drug that is used to restore neurotransmitters in those that lack or have malfunctioning nerve impulses in the

To add to that, the research that has been conducted on the disorder has led to a variety of effective treatments. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (2014) the most widely used medication is a stimulant. There is a wide variety of stimulants available for ADHD subjects. Although, with these stimulants come side effects including sleep problems, decreased appetite, anxiety and other diverse uncommon side effects (NIMH, 2014). Stimulants tend to calm children with ADHD. However, these medications can be detrimental to the patient in many ways. Certain medications have been subject to abuse, including Adderall and Ritalin. These medications are in some cases abused by patients who are over diagnosed. Since these patients do not have the disorder they can feel the side effects and use the drug to achieve a certain kind of high. When using these drugs for non-medical purposes they can seem to replicate the effects of cocaine

2. Sub Point: Methylphenidate is the next type of drug, marketed under the name Ritalin.

It is determined ADHD, is caused by an imbalance of chemicals affecting certain parts of the human brain that work with attention, impulses and concentration Mall & Holland, (2013). Some of the symptoms include daydreaming, forgetting or losing items, and having difficulty resisting temptation. Some of the medication that is provided to patients with ADHD is Ritalin and Concerta. There are some concerns that ADHD medication may led to substance abuse Brown University, (2013). According to Brown University, (2013), the increase in the diagnosis of ADHD may have resulted from over – diagnoses of ADHD or inaccurate information reported from the parents that were surveyed by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). This report has raised questions about the increase in ADHD

Those children that are diagnosed with ADHD are usually prescribed psycho-stimulant medications, such as ‘methylphenidate’, otherwise known as ‘Ritalin’, as the primary method of treatment. (Chandler, 2010).

The psychological effects associated with ADHD may last into adulthood. The main recognized psychological characteristics as recognized by educational medical professionals are (What Are the Psychological Effects Associated With ADHD?):