Lancet Study Identifies Optimal Doses for Five ADHD Medications

Overview

• The Lancet Psychiatry paper published Thursday analyzed 113 randomized trials covering more than 25,000 people to chart how dose changes affect benefits and side effects.
• Authors advise clinicians to avoid doses that are too low and to increase the dose when symptoms remain poorly controlled.
• The team found no average gain from exceeding licensed maximum doses, which more often raise side effects, though individual responses can vary.
• Dose–response patterns differ by medication and by age group, and the researchers released the free ADORMA tool to guide dosing choices.
• The findings aim to curb common underdosing seen in children and adolescents, which prior evidence links to poorer adherence to treatment.