It's an analysis on several current empirical studies regarding treatments for children with attention defficite hyperactivity dissorder (ADHA)

Treatment: Oral Methylphenidate (Ritalin) Indication: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Current Status: Most commonly prescribed psychoactive drug for treatment (Volkow, 2001) Study 1: Schachter, Howard M.; Pham, Ba'; et al (2001) How efficacious and safe is short-acting methylphenidate for the treatment of attention deficit disorder in children and adolescents? This study was conducted to address the need for a meta-analysis of studies done which had focused on short-acting methylphenidate compared with a placebo. The researchers included previous studies …

…of dopamine transporter blockade achieved at the doses used are not known. The recommended dosage was weight specific and should be administered orally to prevent children from achieving an automatic "high" effect. Based on my readings, I would recommend the status of the treatment be continued as it is currently, however, it appears that long-term effects need to be addressed. More research needs to be done to develop a treatment with reduced negative side effects.