2017_11_28_ICS_tdah

Medication protects children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from accidental injury, according to a research coordinated by the University of Navarra. The study has been published by Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviewswhich is among the top 10% of scientific journals with the highest impact in Neuroscience.

The authors of article have combined results from previous programs of study of four million children or adolescents without ADHD and 350,000 with the disorder. They have shown that ADHD is associated with an increased risk of unintentional falls or unintentional blows that result in emergency room visits. They note that it is plausible that this risk is increased by the core symptoms of ADHD-inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity-as well as other related characteristics, such as aggressiveness.

When they compared the periods when the children and adolescents were taking the medication versus when they were not, they found that the pharmacological treatment has a protective effect against these accidental injuries.

Discontinuing treatment requires caution

Among the conclusions of the study, the researchers state that the decision to interrupt drug treatment during weekends or the summer - known as a 'medication vacation' - should be taken with caution by caregivers and physicians and framed in a broader context in which all the risks and benefits are assessed.

The study may also help to implement educational strategies to prevent accidents in children with ADHD, as they are a high-risk population. Simple measures such as always wearing a helmet when riding a bicycle or putting safety locks on windows can prevent some of the serious consequences of an accident.

This study has been coordinated by Gonzalo Arrondo, from the group 'Mente-cerebro' del Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) of the University of Navarra, and Maite Ruiz-Goikoetxea, pediatrician of the Navarra Health Service-Osasunbidea (SNS-O). It is part of a project developed by Arrondo with funding from the department of Health of the Government of Navarra.

The child psychiatrists Samuele Cortese, from the University of Southampton (UK), and César Soutullo, director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit of the department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology of the University of Navarra, together with other researchers from this clinic, , and Psychology of the University of Navarra, and the Navarre Health Service-Osasunbidea, have also participated in the study. Clínica Universidad de Navarratogether with other researchers from this clinic, the School of Education and Psychology of the University of Navarra, and the Navarra Health Service-Osasunbidea.

• The complete article (.pdf)