Central nervous system stimulant¹ medicines are the most commonly prescribed medications to treat symptoms of attention deficit²/hyperactivity disorder³ (ADHD). These stimulants⁴ activate⁵ the level of activity, arousal, or alertness of the central nervous system. They work by “stimulating⁶” and increasing the availability of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, making pathways in the brain work more effectively.

中枢神经系统兴奋剂是治疗注意性缺障碍症（多动症）的一剂常用良方。这些兴奋剂提升了人们控制行为的能力，唤醒并使中枢神经系统处于警觉状态。这些药物的主要职能是“刺激”并增加大脑中某些神经递质的能动性，让大脑工作的效率更高。

All three subtypes of ADHD -- the Combined type, the Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive⁷ type, and the Predominantly Inattentive type -- respond to stimulant therapy.

共有三种亚型多动症：组合型多动症，冲动型多动症以及完全无法集中注意力为主要特征的多动症——刺激疗法都可以奏效。

Caffeine is also a central nervous system stimulant. Is caffeine an alternative therapeutic⁸ 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?

咖啡因也是中枢神经系统兴奋剂的一种。但这就意味着咖啡因能在治疗多动症方面取代药物么？一天喝几杯咖啡，我们就能集中注意力于工作了吗？也能使罹患多动症的儿童行为有所改善吗？

Research on Caffeine and ADHD

关于喝咖啡治疗多动症的研究

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, impulsivity⁹, poorly sustained attention, and deficits¹⁰ in learning and memory processes.

发表在国际期刊International Journal of Neuropychophamacology （2005年第十二期）研究了咖啡因在动物样本上治疗多动症的效果——有多动症状的冲动，缺乏持续注意力，有认知记忆缺陷的老鼠样本。

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

研究发现，咖啡因确实在动物样本实验中对认知与记忆障碍的症状有所改善。

Research published in the journal Neuroscience Letters (2011) further evaluated the effect of caffeine on motor activity and attention deficit, again using a genetic¹¹ animal model of ADHD. In the study investigators¹² 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.

小说Neuroscience Letters(《神经科学》2011年出版)中关于此的研究进一步评估了咖啡因对人体运动活性和注意力的积极影响，仍是通过动物样本实验。在此次研究中研究人员发现，在运动活性测量前后服用咖啡因的小鼠体征没有变化，而有缺陷性多动障碍的小鼠则在服用前后症状有相当大的改善。

Caffeine for ADHD in Children?

咖啡因与多动症儿童

Though improvements have been noted¹³ 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.

虽然在动物样本实验和报告中，咖啡因都表现得不错，但其在治疗多动症的安全性与有效性方面的相关研究是非常少的。我们倾向于认为咖啡因是一种对人体无害的物质，毕竟咖啡，茶和可可中都有咖啡因存在。但是，他的效能仍然是药物，是一种中枢神经兴奋剂。

Many pediatricians caution against the use of caffeine as a treatment choice for ADHD. It tends to be shorter acting¹⁴ as compared to the stimulant medications, so any positive effects are shorter lasting¹⁵. In addition, there are currently no dosage recommendations for managing ADHD with caffeine.

许多儿科医生极不赞成将咖啡因用于多动症的治疗。它的作用时间较短，所以与其他刺激性药物相比发挥效能的时间也短。此外，目前还没有任何关于咖啡因治疗注意缺陷行多动症的用量建议。

Like all stimulants, caffeine can result in negative side effects such as anxiety, restlessness, insomnia¹⁶, stomachaches, and tachycardia when consumed in higher doses. Children are often more susceptible¹⁷ to these adverse¹⁸ effects as compared to adults.

和所有其他刺激性药物一样，人们服用过量咖啡因时，咖啡因会带来十分消极的副作用，比如焦虑，烦躁，失眠，胃痛，心跳加速等症状。而孩子在应激方面的反应比成年人更敏感。

At this time there is insufficient¹⁹ information available to recommend caffeine for children with ADHD. Treatment approaches with documented efficacy and safety include behavioral interventions²⁰ and when indicated prescription²¹ stimulant medication.

如今，推荐咖啡因作为儿童多动症的治疗手段明显证据不足。已记录的治疗方法仍是有效性与安全性有保障的处方兴奋剂药物。