PhD defence J. van der Schans

Pharmacoepidemiological studies

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic disorder with high prevalence. We lack knowledge regarding the etiology of ADHD but high rates of co-occurring other diseases raises questions about the possible connections with these other diseases. Here, the main objective of the thesis of Jurjen van der Schans was to assess the possible association between drug-treated atopic disorders and ADHD. The first aim of this thesis was to assess the effectiveness and impact of ADHD medication in children. Despite the availability of effective treatments many problems associated with ADHD still remain in patients and society. More factors need to be considered when looking at the effectiveness of medication used for the treatment of ADHD like methylphenidate,. Like all drugs, it should be questioned to what extent the efficacy, established in controlled trial settings, hold outside formal trials. This is especially true for long-term effects and complex outcomes like school performance. In the second part of this thesis the association between ADHD and atopic diseases in both children and adults were addressed. ADHD and atopy are both prevalent diseases which often co-occur or one may be preceded by the other. Although the underlying mechanism of the association between atopy and ADHD is not clear, an association between ADHD and atopy appeared present in both children and adults. More knowledge is needed about the underlying mechanism of this association. For clinical practice, the association between atopy and ADHD could potentially contribute to the improvement of care for individuals with atopy or ADHD.

Dissertation