CADDRA Expert Series 2, Session 4: Pharmacological Treatment of Complex ADHD

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. List new medications approved for ADHD.
2. Describe strategies for the treatment of complex ADHD.
3. Integrate the diagnosis and treatment of mood disorders in ADHD.

Increasingly complex cases of children with ADHD are presenting to child psychiatrists requiring practitioners to learn new strategies for sequencing treatment, the management of refractory core-ADHD symptoms, and the treatment of comorbidity(ies). A systematic review of the literature from historic, recently completed, and ongoing trials was completed to elucidate data on stimulant and nonstimulant treatments for ADHD. Data on combination therapies as well as co-occurring executive function deficits was also reviewed. The literature combined with the clinical experience indicates that alterations in the use of traditional stimulants in existing and novel release forms, atomoxetine, viloxazine, alpha agonists, the use of alternative agents, and combinations of medications can enhance a patient’s ADHD response. The use of multiple strategies for cognitive executive dysfunction in ADHD exist. Pharmacological strategies will be reported for those who 1) have not responded to traditional agents and 2) present with comorbidity(ies). Both empirically derived data and illustrative cases will be used in this pragmatic presentation.

Dr, Timothy Wilens:

Dr. Timothy Wilens is chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and is co-director of the Center for Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is the MGH Trustees Chair in Addiction Medicine and a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Wilens earned his MD at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor and completed his residency in child,
adolescent, and adult psychiatry at Mass General. Dr. Wilens’ research interests include the relationship among attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, and substance use disorders; embedded health care models, digital therapeutics, and the pharmacotherapy of ADHD across the lifespan. He has published more than 325 peer-reviewed articles, concerning these and related topics. He has also coedited more than 80 book chapters, 5 books, and 350 abstracts and presentations for national and international scientific meetings. Dr. Wilens is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and is on the editorial boards or is a scientific reviewer for more than 35 journals.

CADDRA – Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance has been approved by the College of Family Physicians, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the Canadian Psychological Association to offer 1.25 continuing education credits for this session.  CADDRA maintains responsibility for the program.

Participation in a discussion forum is required to claim full credits.