Did you know: Every school day at a specified time, children diagnosed with ADHD are required to leave class and go to the nurse's office for their midday dose of methylphenidate, commonly known at Ritalin. This disruption at school makes the issue a public one, often leaving a child embarrassed and stigmatized. Now a new form of the drug, called Concerta, developed by Crescendo Pharmaceuticals Corp, lasts 12 hours, rendering the midday dose unnecessary.

Like traditional doses of Ritalin, however, the drug doesn't come without a downside. The side effects reported from clinical trials included headaches (14 percent of patients), upper respiratory tract infections and stomachaches.

The Associated Press, August 2, 2000