Major Lessons from the MTA in Treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The current review aimed to describe the major findings of the NIMH Collaborative Multisite Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (MTA) with regard to the treatment of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: We performed a general review of the literature regarding the efficacy of the MTA's proposed treatments. RESULTS: There is a large and still increasing body of evidence regarding the MTA's treatment outcomes. We present and discuss details of the findings at each follow-up point. CONCLUSION: Currently, findings regarding the MTA's treatments suggest children with combined-type ADHD exhibit significant impairment in adolescence, despite their initial symptom improvement. Further studies, using innovative treatment approaches and targeting specific areas of adolescent impairment, are needed in order to enhance ADHD treatment outcomes.