Back in the 1930s, a physician in Providence, R.I., trying to figure out what caused delinquent behavior in boys stumbled upon a relatively easy way to calm the boys' rowdy tendencies. Giving them stimulants like amphetamines, Dr. Charles Bradley found, actually helped them focus their attention in school, and the first generation of drugs to treat hyperactivity was born.
Since then, the universe of medications to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has broadened significantly, ranging from vintage antidepressants known as tricyclics to various drugs for high blood pressure. Both groups seek to restore the balance of brain chemicals that appears to have...
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