| Abstrakt: |
The article presents guidelines on the use and medical effects of psychostimulant drugs in therapy. The use of amphetamines to alleviate behavioral disorders in children was originally advocated in 1937. In 1958 methylphenidate hydrochloride was first used on children with behavior disorders and eventually became even more popular than the amphetamines. In the U.S., particularly, parents with children having difficulty in school banded together to demand better programs and more response from educational and governmental agencies. Children with the hyperkinetic impulse disorder may respond well to either amphetamine or methylphenidate hydrochloride. Amphetamine is usually the first choice in this type of child as it is cheaper and can be obtained in liquid and in spansule form. Methylphenidate hydrochloride is also more effective in the overactive child, but neither of these cerebral stimulants are of great value with the fidgety child. With fidgety behavior, the tranquilizers are often more effective. |
