title: Stimulants and growth in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
abstract: Initial suggestions that suppression of growth may be an intrinsic characteristic of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have now largely been disproven. Although controversy persists regarding the possible negative effect of adrenergic stimulants on growth in children with ADHD, the consensus that appears to be reached in the scientific literature is that stimulant usage may cause a manageable attenuation of growth in these children. Since it is known that stimulants increase the amount of dopamine and noradrenaline in the synapse, this writing suggests that these increases in dopamine and noradrenaline are responsible for the growth attenuation in these children. It appears that increased amounts of dopamine and noradrenaline have the ability to inhibit the secretion of growth hormone and growth-related hormones such as prolactin, thyroid hormones, sex hormones and insulin. Therefore, it would be reasonable to suggest that the increases in dopamine and noradrenaline caused by stimulant usage can disrupt the homeostasis of both growth hormone and growth-related hormones, generating the potential for the suppression of growth.
authors: Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Private Bag X2, Suite 149, Dunswart 1508, South Africa. bnegrao@uj.ac.za
authors: Bianca Lee
authors: BL
authors: Negrao
authors: Margaretha
authors: M
authors: Viljoen
mesh_terms: D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000502:physiology; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D007328:Insulin; D013963:Thyroid Hormones