The contribution of drug effects to the understanding of child psychiatric disorders.
The paper is part of a special section on 'psychopharmacotherapy in children'. Drugs not only help to treat symptoms successfully but may also help researchers and clinicians to gain a better understanding of the pathophysiology underlying these disturbances. This is exemplified in three child psychiatric disorders that exhibit disturbances in motor activity as a prominent symptom. These are general motor restlessness (ADHD), tic-disorder (sudden circumscribed motor actions) and stuttering (non-fluent speech). There is evidence that clinically useful drugs increase the cortical-subcortical interaction and tuning mechanisms providing the patients with a better self-regulation related to the motor performance.
Rothenberger
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Central Institute of Mental Health, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Mannheim, Germany.
D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D013342:Stuttering / Q000188:drug therapy; D013981:Tic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy