ADHD drug effective for people with dependency

Prior to this recent study in the journal Addiction, those with ADHD and substance dependence rarely responded as favorably as they should to usual doses of stimulant medication. The solution was simple: Just increase the doses since such individuals most likely have developed a tolerance to CNS stimulants. We've shown for the first time that ADHD in these patients( incarcerated men diagnosed with ADHD and with amphetamine dependence) is treatable," says lead-author Dr Maija Konstenius at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, " especially when given Ritalin. Moreover, the treatment led to less ADHD symptoms and fewer relapses to drug use, which is a very significant finding since a return to crime is often linked to drug abuse in this group. According to Dr Levinson and others, untreated ADHD leads to a greater incidence of crime and addiction. This study additionally shows that treating criminals with stimulant dependent ADHD actually decreases their drug and possibly criminal relapse rate by lessening their ADHD symptoms. These optimistic results are the opposite of what many read in the popular media and counter to professionals who fear stimulant treatment for ADHD.

About Harold Levinson, M.D.

Formerly Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at New York University Medical Center,Dr. Harold Levinson is currently Director of the Levinson Medical Center for Learning Disabilities in Great Neck, New York. He is a well known neuropsychiatrist, clinical researcher and author. His "highly original" research into the cerebellar-vestibular (inner-ear) origins andtreatment of dyslexia and related learning, attention-deficit/hyperactivity and anxiety or phobic disorders has evolved over the past four decades. Levinson's concepts encompass the collective insights derived from the examinations, follow-up and successful treatment of over35,000 children, adults and even seniors and have led to new methods of screening, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. His expanded theories appear capable of encompassing and/or explaining all reported symptoms as well as most other concepts and experimental data, thus resulting in a truly holistic perspective.

For more information, call 1(800) 334-7323 or visit www.dyslexiaonline.com