Reassuring evidence on the safety of medications for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder should be shared with patients.
There is concern that stimulant medication may increase the risk for seizures, despite some evidence demonstrating its safety (e.g., methylphenidate in patients with uncontrolled epilepsy; NEJM JW Psychiatry Aug 2011 and Epilepsy Behav 2011; 21:228). In the current study, researchers examined the risk for seizures among over 800,000 individuals (aged 5–64 years) who received a new diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or a prescription for an ADHD medication, based on health insurance claims data. Selected patients also had no claims for seizures for at least 1 year before diagnosis or prescription receipt.
Seizures occurred in approximately 2% of the ADHD cohort (men, 1.8%; women, 2.1%) compared with less than 1% of a…
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresRoyaltiesTextbook of Traumatic Brain Injury, 2nd and 3rd editions
Editorial BoardsUpToDate; Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesNorth American Brain Injury Association (Board Member); National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (Chair of Data Monitoring Safety Board for study of donepezil on cognition after traumatic brain injury)
DisclosuresRoyaltiesTextbook of Traumatic Brain Injury, 2nd and 3rd editions
Editorial BoardsUpToDate; Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience
Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesNorth American Brain Injury Association (Board Member); National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (Chair of Data Monitoring Safety Board for study of donepezil on cognition after traumatic brain injury)