Effects of Amphetamine Therapy on Hyperkinetic Children

A role for the school in the pharmacological treatment of hyperkinetic children

“…1 ) . clinical psychologist 'Harris E. Karowe, M h , Director We find that a significant proportion of misbehaving, academically unproductive children present many of the symptoms of the hyperkinetic syndrome described by Burks (1964), Laufer, Denhoff, and Solomons (1957), and Stewart, Pitts, Craig, and Dieruf (1966). Hyperactivity, distractibility, impulsiveness, erratic school performance, and poor social adjustment are the general characteristics of hyperkinetic children.…”

“…Early identification of hyperkinetic children in inner city schools is particularly important for three additional reasons: (a) the incidence of organically determined overactivity and distractibility is probably higher in lowincome populations than in middle-class populations because of the higher incidence in this group of neurological disorders resulting from deficiencies in prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal care (Pasamanick, Knobloch, & Lilienfeld, 1956) ; (b) successful pharmacological treatment of low-income hyperkinetic children helps to overcome the widely held feeling among school personnel that unchangeable environment is the almost exclusive cause of poor learning and behavior in "culturally deprived" children; (c) low-income families may accept a medical treatment plan even when they will not or cannot avail themselves of mental health services. Several investigators (Alexandris & Lundell, 1968;Bradley, 1937;Burks, 1964;Conners, Eisenberg, & Barcai, 1967;Ginn & Hohman, 1953;Knobel, 1962) have found that children with hyperkinetic symptoms frequently respond to Dexedrine, Benzedrine, Mellaril, or Ritalin by becoming less active, less impulsive, and much more attentive. Our own experience is consistent with the findings of these investigators.…”

The Effect of Methylphenidate on Sensory Perception and Integration in Hyperactive Children

“…In various studies on hyperkinesis (8,9,10,11), it is mentioned that visual-motor perception causes the greater part of the difficulties confronting hyperactive children. Motor im provement has been demonstrated with methylphenidate (12,13).…”

Four Types of Hyperkinesis

“…categorized as conduct disorder problems from special classes for the emotionally dis turbed" and found the main effects of methylphenidate hydrochloridet were in creased tractability and the child's ability to respond more attentively to tasks demanded in school or other task-oriented settings. Burks (3) found that hyperkinetic children with normal EEGs improved more signifi cantly than those with abnormal EEGs. Weiss (24) concluded that chlorpromazine, dex troamphetamine and methylphenidate all pro duced a significant decrease in hyperactivity.…”