ADHD Treatments Include 'Worthless' Fads

[Pediatric News 33(3):33, 1999. © 1999 International Medical News Group.] 

Seattle -- Expensive imaging scans and hair analysis are useless in diagnosing attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Dr. Chris Varley said at a meeting on mental health sponsored by the University of Washington. 

"This disorder is highly vulnerable to fads," warned Dr. Varley of the university. 

He noted that parents are vulnerable to seeking alternatives to traditional treatments for ADHD, since critics have vociferously accused the medical establishment of overdiagnosing the condition and drugging children unnecessarily. 

A number of centers have been offering electroencephalograms, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), hair analysis, and thyroid function tests for ADHD diagnosis. Dr. Varley characterized the scans and tests as "worthless" in a clinical context, since they have not been shown to accurately pinpoint abnormalities in children with ADHD. 

On the treatment side, dozens of diets and new medications are always popping up, but fail to pass muster when put to randomized controlled tests. "My admonition to you, or my advice, would be to watch out for these things," he said. "It may be that a miracle will happen or a new revelation about this condition will emerge, but I wouldn't be the first person in my town or community to be practicing these strategies." 

Methylphenidate (Ritalin) or the amphetamine Adderall are the most studied and most effective medications for ADHD, he said. Combining agents or moving away from stimulants to other classes of medications are strategies not yet backed up by robust clinical studies.