SOME OF the articles appearing in this issue of the Archives document the current interest in the varied applications of methylphenidate hydrochloride in psychiatry. Together, the articles address questions that have been of concern to clinicians and scientists alike. The scope of the clinical use of methylphenidate in adult psychiatry is addressed in the study by Spencer and associates1; a potentially serious side effect (ie, tics) is examined carefully by Gadow et al2; and Volkow and colleagues3 report on some mechanisms of methylphenidate activity and their contribution to our understanding of the drug's effects.
In an excellent review that appeared in the Archives in 1987, Chiarello and Cole4 summarize the manifold uses of methylphenidate, as well as those of other psychostimulants. Although the literature consisted mostly of less than
See also pages 434, 444, 456, and 464
well-controlled studies conducted in imprecisely identified patient groups, the conclusions pointed to the likely usefulness of psychostimulants