Trastorno por deficit de atención/hiperactividad y uso de sustancias / Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and substance abuse. Scientific evidence

El trastorno por déficit de atención con hiperactividad (TDAH) es una alteración del neurodesarrollo de base biológica que iniciado en la infancia puede persistir durante la adolescencia-juventud y, a pesar de lo que se pensaba hasta hace no muchos años, también en la edad adulta hasta en un 50-60% de los afectados, produciendo un notable deterioro clínico y psicosocial. A pesar de tratarse de un síndrome fácilmente identificable por la triada: desatención, hiperactividad e impulsividad que le caracteriza, en la práctica clínica existen diferentes circunstancias que dificultan y complican su diagnóstico y tratamiento. Una de las más significativas es la presencia, tanto en la infancia como en la edad adulta, de otros trastornos mentales comórbidos. Es a partir de la adolescencia-juventud cuando junto al TDAH podemos detectar la presencia de trastornos de la personalidad, trastornos del estado de ánimo, trastornos de ansiedad y muy especialmente trastornos por uso de sustancias. Las evidencias existentes hasta el presente muestran como la comorbilidad del TDAH y el trastorno por uso de sustancias influyen en el curso evolutivo de ambos, complicando el abordaje, el tratamiento y consecuentemente agravando el pronóstico final. Las dificultades en su abordaje y la escasez de opciones de tratamiento nos hacen subrayar la importancia del tratamiento preventivo en la etapa infantil a partir de programas de psicoeducación centrados en la vulnerabilidad de estos pacientes a las sustancias y las consecuencias asociadas al consumo.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental alteration of biological basis that started in childhood may persist during adolescence-youth and, despite what was believed until not many years ago, also in adulthood up to 50-60% of those affected, producing a significant clinical and psychosocial deterioration. In spite of being a syndrome easily identifiable by the triad: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity that characterizes it, in clinical practice there are different circumstances that hinder and complicate its diagnosis and treatment. One of the most significant is the presence, both in childhood and adulthood, of other comorbid mental disorders. It is from adolescence-youth when together with ADHD we can detect the presence of personality, mood and anxiety disorders and especially the use of several substances. The evidences existing until now show how the comorbidity of ADHD and substance use disorder influence the evolutionary course of both, complicating the approach, the treatment and, therefore, aggravating the final prognosis. The difficulties in their approach and the scarcity of treatment options make us underline the importance of preventive treatment in the infantile stage, starting from psychoeducation programs focused on the vulnerability of these patients to substances and the consequences associated with consumption.

The Revised Korean Practice Parameter for the Treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (III): Pharmacological Treatment

The objective of this review is the revision of the Korean practice parameters for the pharmacological treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) based on the change in the diagnostic system from DSM-IV-TR to DSM-5 and psychopharmacological developments. For the evidence-based approach, the authors conducted a review of the literature, including controlled clinical trials, studies of the side effects of drugs, toxicology and meta-analyses from the United States and Europe, as well as recent research conducted in Korea. The review committee composed of Korean experts on ADHD reviewed the revised parameters. This revised version reveals how to use central nervous system psychostimulants, non-stimulants such as atomoxetine and alpha2 agonists, and other medication for ADHD, and how to manage the adverse effects of such medication. At the end of this revised version, the authors propose recommendations for the pharmacotherapy of ADHD.