Description
Ritalin is indicated in the treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in children aged
6 years or older. Ritalin LA is indicated in the treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in children
aged 6 years or older and in adults.
ADHD was previously known as attention-deficit disorder or minimal brain dysfunction. Other
terms used to describe this behavioural syndrome include: hyperkinetic disorder, minimal brain
damage, minimal cerebral dysfunction, minor cerebral dysfunction and psycho-organic
syndrome of children.
Ritalin is indicated as part of a comprehensive treatment programme
which typically includes psychological, educational, and social measures and is aimed at
stabilising children with a behavioural syndrome characterised by moderate to severe
distractibility, short attention span, hyperactivity, emotional lability, and impulsivity.
The diagnosis should be made according to DSM-IV criteria or the guidelines in ICD-10. Nonlocalising (soft) neurological signs, learning disability, and abnormal EEG may or may not be present, and a diagnosis of central nervous system dysfunction may or may not be warranted.
