Psychostimulant treatment and the developing cortex in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Objective: While there has been considerable concern over possible adverse effects of psychostimulants on brain development, this issue has not been examined in a prospective study. The authors sought to determine prospectively whether psychostimulant treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was associated with differences in the development of the cerebral cortex during adolescence.

Method: Change in cortical thickness was estimated from two neuroanatomic MRI scans in 43 youths with ADHD.