Changing the Way We Think About ADHD Meds

New research encourages shifts in our understanding and treatment of ADHD

As a clinician that specializes in adolescent therapy, I work with many, many teen clients who struggle with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, or ADHD. ADHD is a frustrating disorder to live with, starting first with its name: we know now after years of studying this disorder that it is not actually a deficit of attention, rather that an ADHD brain can’t decide what to pay attention to, and that dopamine plays a significant role in ADHD brain function. We (mental health providers, pediatricians, teachers, parents, researchers) have greatly increased our understanding of ADHD over the past two decades. We know now that ADHD is a multifaceted disorder that affects all areas of life, including executive functioning, not just hyperactivity and behavior issues. We know now that ADHD is not just the five year old boy who can’t sit still in kindergarten, but also the overwhelmed 10th grader who struggles with late assignments and “just doesn’t work up to her potential”.  

We also now know through a study conducted through Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis that ADHD is not, after all, a disorder directly involving attention spans ⸺ it is now considered a disorder that affects wakefulness and the brain’s reward centers rather than directly affecting attention or focus. This study observed almost 5,800 children ages 8 to 11 in an effort to understand exactly how stimulant medications (like Adderall) affect brain function. As quoted in the Washington Post article featured here:

“By studying the connections that allow different regions of the brain to communicate with one another, the scientists discovered that stimulants were promoting increased activity in the wakefulness and reward regions, but not in the attention ones.

Dosenbach said the stimulants “pre-reward our brains and allow us to keep working at things that wouldn’t normally hold our interest,” such as a class in school that feels like drudgery.

The stimulants “are not a cognition booster,” Dosenbach said. “They don’t make you smarter, I don’t think. They don’t actually give you better attention.”

If you have a child or teen diagnosed with ADHD and are considering treatment options, or you are a medical or mental health professional who prescribes ADHD medication to your patients, or maybe, you have a partner that has long struggled with these symptoms and is looking for answers, strongly encourage you to read this article ⸺ it’s changed the way I understand this disorder. 

Happy reading and be well!

References 

Johnson, M. (2026, January 6). ADHD drugs work, but not the way experts thought. The Washington Post. https://www.doximity.com/articles/664c8648-0aa8-4e50-9842-11d85524b15d

Kopf, J. (2025, December 24). Stimulant ADHD medications work differently than thought | WashU Medicine. WashU Medicine. https://medicine.washu.edu/news/stimulant-adhd-medications-work-differently-than-thought/

MacDonald, H. J., Kleppe, R., Szigetvari, P. D., & Haavik, J. (2024). The dopamine hypothesis for ADHD: An evaluation of evidence accumulated from human studies and animal models. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1492126

National Institute of Mental Health. (2024). Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Www.nimh.nih.gov; National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd

What Is Executive Function? 7 Deficits Tied to ADHD. (2015, January 14). ADDitude. https://www.additudemag.com/7-executive-function-deficits-linked-to-adhd/?srsltid=AfmBOopIHYoON4AF1AvnmuBeEneqwa9KIA0Qg8GOxAMSDf82Wik_3DDH