Provided by David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D.
Surgeon General of the United States of America
Chapter 3: Children and Mental Health
Overview of Mental Disorders in Children
Pharmacological Treatment
Dosing
Stimulants are usually started at a low dose and adjusted weekly (AACAP, 1991).
A recent study demonstrated that the practice of dosing methylphenidate on the
basis of body weight fails to predict the optimal dose of medication (Rapport &
Denney, 1997). One of the goals of the recently completed NIMH Multimodal
Treatment Study of ADHD (described more fully below) was to develop medication
strategies to guide“best dose,” dose changes, management of side effects, and
integration with other treatments (Greenhill et al., 1996).
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