New tools developed to better treat ADHD patients in early stages
In the first study, Mayo Clinic researchers required parents and teachers of children coming in for their first ADHD consultation , defined by some combination of problems such as difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior, consultations to complete extensive background forms and analysis. By offering incentives and stressing the importance of being prepared for the first consultation, clinicians were able to boost parent and teacher compliance from 25 to 90 percent at the Mayo Clinic Child and Adolescent ADHD Clinic. As a result, researchers have been able to better recommend treatment and therapy right off the bat. "I'd compare treating a child with ADHD for the first time to consulting with someone who has type II diabetes -- we need to measure a diabetic patient's blood sugar level before we can properly treat them," says study lead author Jyoti Bhagia, M.D., a Mayo Clinic psychiatrist . "The same goes for ADHD. The more we kno...