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Bridget M. Kuehn

JAMA. 2007;298:1747-1749.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The use of methylphenidate and other psychotropic drugs to treat preschool-aged children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has long been controversial because few data previously had been available to support the practice. Now a growing body of preliminary evidence indicates that these very young children can benefit from such treatment but that adverse events in this age group require special consideration.

Other studies are probing the potential long-term consequences of treatment and exploring the role of genetics in the disorder.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

The recently published results from the Preschool ADHD Treatment Study (PATS), a 6-center, randomized controlled trial of immediate-release methylphenidate in young children (aged 3 to 5.5 years) with ADHD indicate that the drug can be safe and effective in this age group. The findings also indicated that these children may be more susceptible to adverse events related to the drug than their school-aged counterparts.

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