Childhood hyperkinetic disorder/attention deficit disorder grown up.

There is growing evidence for the validity of the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperkinetic Disorder (ADHD) in adults, as well as evidence that conduct disorder in adolescents and dissocial personality disorder in adult life are linked to ADHD in childhood. Methylphenidate is an effective treatment of ADHD in adolescents and young adults and it is possible that dissocial personality disorder will respond to methylphenidate. There is no evidence that methylphenidate reduces symptoms of conduct disorder in adolescents or of dissocial personality disorder in young adults, because no studies have evaluated methylphenidate in these conditions. We recorded a dramatic improvement in symptoms, predominantly of conduct disorder, in an adolescent with a previous history of ADHD. Trials of methylphenidate are required in adolescents with conduct disorder and young people with dissocial personality disorder, when there is a past history of probable ADHD.