How to Treat ADHD in Bipolar Disorder

Topics: ADHD | Alpha Agonists | Amphetamines | ArModafinil | Atomoxetine | Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder | Bipolar Disorder | Bipolar II | Comorbidity | Guanfacine | methylphenidate | Modafinil | Nuvigil | Pharmacology | Provigil | Psychopharmacology | Psychopharmacology Tips | stimulant | Stimulants

Patients with bipolar disorder often present with cognitive complaints. Our October 2021 issue laid out a diagnostic plan for these symptoms, and in this article, I’ll cover some treatment approaches for patients with a DSM-based ADHD-bipolar comorbidity (ie, the ADHD symptoms began in childhood and persist after the mood episodes have stabilized).

Stimulants and Creativity

Topics: ADHD | Amphetamines | ArModafinil | Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder | Creativity | methylphenidate | Modafinil | Provigil | Side Effects | stimulant | Stimulants

Your patient is a 25-year-old music teacher with ADHD. Though her organizational skills have improved with methylphenidate, she complains that it impairs her performance as a jazz musician: “I feel self-conscious, like a robot.” Popular lore holds that creative people have ADHD traits and that ADHD bestows advantages in creative thinking. Stock c

Stimulants as Cognitive Enhancers

Topics: ADHD | Amphetamines | Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder | Cognition | Cosmetic pharmacology | methylphenidate

Depending on your practice setting, you are likely to encounter adults who seek stimulants for various “non-medical” uses, from cognitive enhancement to recreational abuse to outright diversion. Abuse and diversion are easier to detect these days with the controlled substance databases available in most states. Abuse of stimulants is relative

New Augmentation Strategies in OCD

Topics: Amphetamines | Novel Medications | OCD | Pharmacology

Review of: Naderi S, Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2019;73(4):169–174 and Zheng H et al, Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2019;29(3):397–404 Study types: Positive RCTs Serotonergic agents—both SSRIs and clomipramine—have historically been the cornerstone of pharmacotherapy for OCD. However, response rates are notoriously low, and few patients achieve full

Amphetamines Stand Out in ADHD

Topics: ADHD | Amphetamines | Research Update

Review of: Cortese S et al, Lancet 208;5:727–738 Type of study: Meta-analysis With so many medications available to treat ADHD, wouldn’t it be nice to know if some are better than others? In this comprehensive meta-analysis, researchers sought to compare the relative efficacy and tolerability of both stimulant (methylphenidate and am