Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Apr 1;33(2):27-34.
doi: 10.5765/jkacap.210034.

Stimulant Induced Movement Disorders in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Seok-Hyun Nam  1 , Myung Ho Lim  2 , Tae Won Park  1   3
Affiliations
Review

Stimulant Induced Movement Disorders in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Seok-Hyun Nam et al. Soa Chongsonyon Chongsin Uihak. .

Abstract

Stimulants, such as amphetamine and methylphenidate, are one of the most effective treatment modalities for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and may cause various movement disorders. This review discusses various movement disorders related to stimulant use in the treatment of ADHD. We reviewed the current knowledge on various movement disorders that may be related to the therapeutic use of stimulants in patients with ADHD. Recent findings suggest that the use of stimulants and the onset/aggravation of tics are more likely to be coincidental. In rare cases, stimulants may cause stereotypies, chorea, and dyskinesia, in addition to tics. Some epidemiological studies have suggested that stimulants used for the treatment of ADHD may cause Parkinson's disease (PD) after adulthood. However, there is still a lack of evidence that the use of stimulants in patients with ADHD may cause PD, and related studies are only in the early stages. As stimulants are one of the most commonly used medications in children and adolescents, close observations and studies are necessary to assess the effects of stimulants on various movement disorders, including tic disorders and Parkinson's disease.

Keywords: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Movement disorders; Parkinson’s disease; Stimulant; Tics.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.

References

    1. Brown RT, Freeman WS, Perrin JM, Stein MT, Amler RW, Feldman HM, et al. Prevalence and assessment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in primary care settings. Pediatrics. 2001;107:E43. doi: 10.1542/peds.107.3.e43. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Biederman J, Petty CR, Evans M, Small J, Faraone SV. How persistent is ADHD? A controlled 10-year follow-up study of boys with ADHD. Psychiatry Res. 2010;177:299–304. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2009.12.010. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Weiss G, Hechtman L, Milroy T, Perlman T. Psychiatric status of hyperactives as adults: a controlled prospective 15-year follow-up of 63 hyperactive children. J Am Acad Child Psychiatry. 1985;24:211–220. doi: 10.1016/S0002-7138(09)60450-7. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Larson K, Russ SA, Kahn RS, Halfon N. Patterns of comorbidity, functioning, and service use for US children with ADHD, 2007. Pediatrics. 2011;127:462–470. doi: 10.1542/peds.2010-0165. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. The MTA Cooperative Group, author. A 14-month randomized clinical trial of treatment strategies for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1999;56:1073–1086. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.56.12.1073. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources