摘要：咖啡因是中樞神經系統(tǒng)興奮劑的一種。但這就意味著咖啡因能在治療多動癥方面取代藥物么?一天喝幾杯咖啡就能使罹患多動癥的兒童注意力集中，并且改善沖動或多動行為嗎?

　　Central nervous system stimulant medicines are the most commonly prescribed medications to treat symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These stimulants activate the level of activity, arousal, or alertness of the central nervous system. They work by “stimulating” and increasing the availability of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, making pathways in the brain work more effectively.

　　中樞神經系統(tǒng)興奮劑是治療注意性缺障礙癥(多動癥)的一劑常用良方。這些興奮劑提升了人們控制行為的能力，喚醒并使中樞神經系統(tǒng)處于警覺狀態(tài)。這些藥物的主要職能是“刺激”并增加大腦中某些神經遞質的能動性，讓大腦工作的效率更高。

　　All three subtypes of ADHD -- the Combined type, the Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive type, and the Predominantly Inattentive type -- respond to stimulant therapy.

　　共有三種亞型多動癥：組合型多動癥，沖動型多動癥以及完全無法集中注意力為主要特征的多動癥——刺激療法都可以奏效。

　　Caffeine is also a central nervous system stimulant. Is caffeine an alternative therapeutic strategy for the management of ADHD symptoms? Can a few cups of coffee a day effectively improve mental focus and attention and reduce impulsive or hyperactive behavior in children with ADHD?

　　咖啡因也是中樞神經系統(tǒng)興奮劑的一種。但這就意味著咖啡因能在治療多動癥方面取代藥物么?一天喝幾杯咖啡就能使罹患多動癥的兒童注意力集中，并且改善沖動或多動行為嗎?

　　Research on Caffeine and ADHD

　　關于喝咖啡治療多動癥的研究

　　Research published in the International Journal of Neuropychophamacology (December 2005) studied the effect of caffeine on animal models of ADHD – rats with ADHD-like symptoms including hyperactivity, impulsivity, poorly sustained attention, and deficits in learning and memory processes.

　　發(fā)表在國際期刊International Journal of Neuropychophamacology (2005年第十二期)的一篇文章研究了咖啡因在動物樣本上治療多動癥的效果——有多動癥狀的沖動，缺乏持續(xù)注意力，有認知記憶缺陷的老鼠樣本。

　　The study found that caffeine improved several learning and memory impairments in the animal models of ADHD.

　　研究發(fā)現，咖啡因確實在動物樣本實驗中對認知與記憶障礙的癥狀有所改善。

　　Research published in the journal Neuroscience Letters (2011) further evaluated the effect of caffeine on motor activity and attention deficit, again using a genetic animal model of ADHD. In the study investigators observed no changes in the motor activity measurements before and after caffeine administration, however a significant improvement in the attention deficit of the ADHD rats was achieved after caffeine treatment.

　　學術期刊Neuroscience Letters(《神經科學》2011年出版)中關于此的研究進一步評估了咖啡因對肌動運動和注意力缺陷的影響，仍是通過多動癥動物樣本實驗。在此次研究中研究人員發(fā)現，服用咖啡因前后的小鼠的激動運動值沒有變化，而有缺陷性多動障礙的小鼠則在服用后癥狀有相當大的改善。

　　Caffeine for ADHD in Children?

　　咖啡因與多動癥兒童

　　Though improvements have been noted in animal models and in anecdotal reports, research on the safety and effectiveness of caffeine in the treatment of ADHD is very limited. We tend to think of caffeine as an innocuous substance – after all it is naturally found in coffee, tea, and cocoa – , however, it is still a drug and a central nervous stimulant.

　　雖然在動物樣本實驗和報告中，咖啡因都表現得不錯，但其在治療多動癥的安全性與有效性方面的相關研究是非常少的。我們傾向于認為咖啡因是一種對人體無害的物質，畢竟咖啡，茶和可可中都有咖啡因存在。但是，它仍然是藥物，是一種中樞神經興奮劑。

　　Many pediatricians caution against the use of caffeine as a treatment choice for ADHD. It tends to be shorter acting as compared to the stimulant medications, so any positive effects are shorter lasting. In addition, there are currently no dosage recommendations for managing ADHD with caffeine.

　　許多兒科醫(yī)生極不贊成將咖啡因用于多動癥的治療。和其它刺激性藥物相比，它的作用時間較短，所以發(fā)揮效能的時間也短。此外，目前還沒有任何關于咖啡因治療注意缺陷行多動癥的用量建議。

　　Like all stimulants, caffeine can result in negative side effects such as anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, stomachaches, and tachycardia when consumed in higher doses. Children are often more susceptible to these adverse effects as compared to adults.

　　和所有其他刺激性藥物一樣，人們服用過量咖啡因時，咖啡因會帶來不好的副作用，比如焦慮，煩躁，失眠，胃痛，心跳加速等癥狀。而孩子對副作用的反應比成年人更敏感。

　　At this time there is insufficient information available to recommend caffeine for children with ADHD. Treatment approaches with documented efficacy and safety include behavioral interventions and when indicated prescription stimulant medication.

　　目前，推薦咖啡因作為兒童多動癥的治療手段明顯證據不足。已記錄的治療方法仍是有效性與安全性有保障的處方興奮劑藥物。