First AD

Second AD

A. All are able to focus very well on a few activities or tasks but have chronic problems with focus in most other activities

B. Many need a "booster dose" of stimulants for late afternoon and early evening after their "long-acting" stimulant wears off

C. Optimal daily dosage of stimulant medication is correlated with symptom severity and body weight

D. Have much higher rates of unemployment and lower rates of college graduation those in the same age group without ADHD

E. They should have an abbreviated neuropsychological test battery or computerized test of attention to confirm ADHD diagnosis

The dose of stimulant medication that will be effective for any given patient depends 

, age, or symptom severity, but on how sensitive that person is to the medication. Especially in the initial weeks of treatment, careful monitoring of response is needed to guide titration and fine-tune the timing of doses to fit the patient’s body chemistry and schedule. Some students do best with long-acting formulations followed by a “booster” dose of immediate-release medication to provide coverage for evening homework. Others prefer BID or TID dosing of immediate-release stimulants to allow targeting for variable class schedules. See 

 laboratory tests, neuropsychological tests, imaging studies, EEG measures, computer tests, or any other measure that takes a very brief cross-sectional measure of cognitive structure or functioning. ADHD is a clinical diagnosis based on interview and normed rating scale data that take into consideration relevant history and current daily functioning. See 

Growing Up With ADHD: Clinical Care Issues

ADHD

Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Quizzes

What do you really know about ADHD in young adults? Take this quiz and find out.

Mini Quiz: ADHD in Young Adults