Application of phamacoepidemiology in ADHD research

Abstract

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood with estimated worldwide prevalence among school-aged children of 5-7%. Some studies have reported that prenatal exposure to antidepressants increases the risk of ADHD in childhood; however, many methodological issues make the interpretation of these studies’ results difficult. Our research has shown that in the past two decades, medications for the treatment of ADHD has risen rapidly globally 1. Safety concerns of these medications, particularly methylphenidate, have been raised by general public, healthcare professionals and regulatory agencies. In this seminar, I will share some of the results of my ADHD pharmacoepidemiology research programme in Hong Kong. I will specifically discuss the association between prenatal exposure of antidepressants and ADHD 2 and also the association of psychiatric adverse events and treatment of methylphenidate 3-5. References: 1 Raman at al Lancet Psychiatry 2018 Oct 5. 2 Man et al BMJ. 2017 May 31. 3 Man et al JAMA Psychiatry. 2017 Jul 26. 4 Man et al Transl Psychiatry. 2016 Nov 15