Treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the pediatric population: literature review

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common behavioral disorder in childhood, characterized by the presence of hyperactivity and impulsivity, attention problems, and difficulties in social interactions. The objective of this bibliographic review was to identify the available treatments for the non-pharmacological and pharmacological management of ADHD. A search was conducted in PubMed for articles published in the last 5 years and in Google Scholar since 2018, resulting in 285 collected articles. Articles not in English or Spanish, including adults in their population, or not fitting the purpose of this review were excluded. Out of 48 selected articles for reading, 30 were finally included. The available evidence suggests a combined approach of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment. Stimulants such as methylphenidate continue to be the first-line treatment among pharmacological measures. Incipient studies recommend the use of iron, vitamin D, zinc, omega 3, red ginseng, and whey protein supplementation. Non-pharmacological measures include a variety of therapeutic strategies, such as psychoeducation, training in social skills, acceptance and commitment therapy, training for parents, neurofeedback, mobile game applications, physical activity, sleep hygiene, transcranial magnetic stimulation, acupuncture, and horse-assisted therapy. While these studies show promise, most are still in the early stages, emphasizing the need for further research in this area.