Study finds Ritalin only a 'band aid'

Controversial medication for hyperactive children was of no lasting benefit despite its widespread use, experts warn in the wake of landmark new research.

A study published in the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry journal found children treated with the drug Ritalin for 14 months were still seriously affected by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) eight years later.

Researchers reassessed participants when they were in their teens and found they had higher than average levels of delinquency, aggression, and arrests by police than the general population.

From 3 to 5 per cent of New Zealand children have the disorder, which can make them extremely hyperactive and unable to focus on a task.

They are typically treated with either stimulant drugs (the main brands are Ritalin and Rubifen) or behaviour-management training with parents.

University of Canterbury psychologist Dr Julia Rucklidge, an ADHD expert, said the research showed Ritalin was a "band aid" which gave some short-term relief for sufferers and their parents, but had no long-term effect.

Rucklidge said the study was significant because it highlighted the need for a fresh look at Ritalin prescribing and at new treatments.

"Ritalin has been seen as this amazing drug but this research is showing that really it is just acting as a band-aid. While it improves behaviour in the short term, it has no lasting effects. These kids continue to struggle in the long term despite taking Ritalin."

She added that no current treatments, including behaviour management, made big differences to affected children's prognosis.

In the year to June 2008, 600,000 prescriptions of Ritalin were handed out in New Zealand at a cost of about $1.3 million.

Otago University researcher Dr Dione Healey started trials for alternative ADHD treatments to Ritalin and behaviour management management programmes in May.

Ritalin had several side effects such as stunting growth, appetite loss, sleeplessness and nausea and some new research pointed to long-term heart problems, she said.

Healey's study aims to rewire children's brains through game playing and targets areas of brain function impaired by the condition.

She is working with three small groups of four and five-year-old children over the next year, using games such as Simon Says and musical statues.

Paediatric Society of New Zealand president Rosemary Marks said the latest study showed ADHD was a chronic condition.

But it was not fair to describe Ritalin, and other stimulant medication like it, as band aids, she said.

While it did not cure a child's ADHD, it managed their symptoms and allowed them to remain in the classroom rather than "being pushed out" because of their behaviour.

Chairman of New Zealand ADHD advocacy group, Addvocate, Charlie Harrison, said his son, Nick, took Ritalin from age 6 to 18. There was a perception Ritalin was over-prescribed in New Zealand, but it was an invaluable tool for allowing a child with ADHD to focus.

Harrison said this gave parents and teachers the opportunity to engage the child in behaviour treatment.

He acknowledged ADHD was a lifelong issue and said his son, now in his 20s, still engaged in disruptive behaviour driven by the condition.

- © Fairfax NZ News