Major ADHD Review Shows Top Treatments and Key Gaps

Researchers from France and the UK have released the biggest review of ADHD treatments to date. The work looks at over 200 sets of studies and points to medication as the top choice for children and adults, with cognitive behavioral therapy also strong for adults. They built a public website where people with ADHD and doctors can check what works best, but note most proof covers only short-term results even though treatment often lasts years.

Background

ADHD affects millions of people around the world. It makes it hard to pay attention, sit still, and control impulses. Kids with ADHD often struggle in school and with friends. Adults face issues at work and in daily life. Treatments aim to help manage these problems.

For years, advice on ADHD care has been confusing. Some say drugs work great. Others push therapy or exercise. Parents and patients hear mixed messages from ads, social media, and even doctors. Many want options without pills because of side effects like trouble sleeping or less hunger.

This new review changes that. A team from Université Paris Nanterre, Institut Robert-Debré du Cerveau de l'Enfant in France, and the University of Southampton in the UK pulled together data from more than 200 meta-analyses. These are big summaries of many studies. The goal was to sort out what really helps and what does not. They focused on different ages, types of treatment, and results like better focus or fewer outbursts.

The project builds on past work. The same group made a similar tool for autism treatments. That site helped shape doctor guidelines. Now they aim to do the same for ADHD.

Key Details

The review checked a wide range of treatments. For children and teens, five medications stood out with the strongest evidence. These drugs help improve attention and behavior in short-term tests. In adults, two medications plus cognitive behavioral therapy showed solid results. CBT teaches skills to handle ADHD symptoms, like planning tasks or dealing with distractions.

Short-Term Wins and Limits

All top treatments have proof from trials lasting weeks or months. Medication helps kids focus better and cut down on hyperactivity. For adults, it does the same, and CBT adds tools for long days. But long-term data is thin. Most people take treatment for years, yet studies rarely follow up that long.

Other options showed some promise but weaker proof. Exercise, acupuncture, and mindfulness helped a bit in small studies. These often had few people involved or risks of bias, like knowing who got real treatment. CBT for kids had similar issues. Mindfulness was the only one with big effects later on, but still not enough studies.

A separate study on non-drug options for kids looked at brain skills like inhibitory control. This means stopping distractions to stay on task. Physical exercise topped the list for quick gains. Behavior therapy and cognitive training followed. Neurofeedback, which trains brain waves, also helped a little. Board games and meditation did not move the needle.

Follow-up checks showed exercise effects fade after stopping. Behavior therapy held steady better. Cognitive training kept some gains too.

"Physical exercise has the best effect among all non-pharmacological treatments, but its impact will be weakened after intervention. Behavior therapy and cognitive training had a slightly lower effect, but they have a better maintenance effect." – Jingyi Zhou, lead researcher on non-drug study

The main review team launched adhdevidence.org. Anyone can use it free. Pick your age group, symptom, or treatment type. It shows evidence strength with simple colors and charts. Doctors can print reports for talks with patients. The site updates as new studies come in.

What This Means

People with ADHD now have a clear map to pick treatments. Medication stays first line for quick help, backed by the best data. Add CBT for adults. Parents can weigh non-drug choices like exercise or therapy, knowing short-term boosts and how they last.

Doctors get a tool to explain choices based on facts, not hype. It covers options guidelines often skip, like mindfulness. This could lead to fewer trial-and-error switches.

Gaps stand out. Long-term studies are needed. Real-world results, not just lab tests, matter too. Side effects over time need more tracking. Genetics do not yet predict who responds best to drugs.

Guidelines may shift. Past reviews changed autism care. This could do the same for ADHD. Families report less confusion already from early looks at the site. One parent said it helped pick therapy over waiting for meds.

Researchers plan to add more data. They watch for new trials on combos, like drugs plus exercise. Patient groups praise the plain language. It cuts through noise so decisions match real evidence.

The work reminds everyone ADHD care is personal. What works short-term may need tweaks for years. With this review, choices get sharper. More kids finish homework. Adults hold jobs steadier. Daily life improves step by step.