ANTI-HYPERACTIVITY MEDICATION - METHYLPHENIDATE AND AMPHETAMINE

How do 'stimulants' reduce hyperactivity in children and adults? How c an drugs which raise extracellular dopamine result in psychomotor slow ing of hyperactive children when dopamine is known to enhance motor ac tivity, such as in Parkinson's disease? These apparent paradoxes are t he focus of this brief review on the mechanism of action of stimulant medications used in the treatment of children, and of an increasing nu mber of adults who meet diagnostic criteria for attention deficit hype ractivity disorder.