The mother of a child diagnosed with attention-deficit syndrome receives a prescription for a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant to treat her child
The mother asks the nurse, "I don't understand why we're giving a stimulant to calm him down?" What is the nurse's best response to this mother? A) "It helps the reticular activating system (RAS), a part of the brain, to be more selective in response to incoming stimuli."
B) "It helps energize the child so they use up all of their available energy and then they can focus on quieter stimuli."
C) "No one truly understands why it works but it has been demonstrated to be very effective in treating ADHD."
D) "The drugs work really well and you will see a tremendous change in your child within a few weeks without any other treatment."
A
Feedback:
The paradoxical effect of calming hyperexcitability through CNS stimulation seen in attention-deficit syndrome is believed to be related to increased stimulation of an immature RAS, which leads to the ability to be more selective in response to incoming stimuli. CNS stimulants do not cause the child to use all his energy, the effect is thought to be understood, and telling the mother the drug just works without any explanation is not appropriate and may result in noncompliance with pharmacology therapy if the mother does not understand why the drug is given.
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