Objectives-To determine any long-term effects, 6 and 8 years after childhood enrollment, of the randomly assigned 14-month treatments in the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD (MTA; N=436); to test whether Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptom trajectory through 3-years predicts outcome in subsequent years; to examine functioning level of the MTA adolescents relative to their non-ADHD peers (Local Normative Comparison Group or LNCG; N=261).Method-Mixed effects regression models with planned contrasts at 6-and 8-years tested a wide range of symptom and impairment variables assessed by parent, teacher, and youth report.Results-In nearly every analysis, the originally randomized treatment groups did not differ significantly on repeated measures or newly-analyzed variables (e.g., grades earned in school, The other authors report no conflicts of interest. This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Conclusions-Type or intensity of 14 months of treatment for ADHD in childhood (at age 7.0-9.9 years old) does not predict functioning six-to-eight years later. Rather, early ADHD symptom trajectory regardless of treatment type is prognostic. This finding implies that children with behavioral and sociodemographic advantage, with the best response to any treatment, will have the best longterm prognosis. As a group, however, despite initial symptom improvement during treatment that is largely maintained post-treatment, children with Combined-Type ADHD exhibit significant impairment in adolescence. Innovative treatment approaches targeting specific areas of adolescent impairment are needed. NIH Public Access Keywords ADHD; adolescence; clinical trial; longitudinalThe Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), abbreviated as MTA, compared four distinct treatment strategies during childhood for 579 children diagnosed with DSM-IV ADHD, Combined type. Children were randomly assigned to 14 months of (a) systematic medication management (MedMgt), which was initial placebo-controlled titration, thrice-daily dosing, seven days per week, and monthly 30-minute clinic visits, (b) multicomponent behavior therapy (Beh), which included 27-session group parent training supplemented with eight individual parent sessions, an 8-week summer treatment program, 12 weeks of classroom administered behavior therapy with a half-time aide and 10 teacher consultation sessions, (c) their combination (Comb), or (d) usual community care (CC).1 -2 This randomized, 6-site, controlled clinical trial, conducted in parallel at 6 performance sites, feat...

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Once-daily administration of atomoxetine is an effective treatment for children and adolescents with ADHD.

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In 1992, the National Institute of Mental Health and 6 teams of investigators began a multisite clinical trial, the Multimodal Treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (MTA) study. Five hundred seventy-nine children were randomly assigned to either routine community care (CC) or one of three study-delivered treatments, all lasting 14 months. The three MTA treatments-monthly medication management (usually methylphenidate) following weekly titration (MedMgt), intensive behavioral treatment (Beh), and the combination (Comb)-were designed to reflect known best practices within each treatment approach. Children were assessed at four time points in multiple outcome. Results indicated that Comb and MedMgt interventions were substantially superior to Beh and CC interventions for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms. For other functioning domains (social skills, academics, parent-child relations, oppositional behavior, anxiety/depression), results suggested slight advantages of Comb over single treatments (MedMgt, Beh) and community care. High quality medication treatment characterized by careful yet adequate dosing, three times daily methylphenidate administration, monthly follow-up visits, and communication with schools conveyed substantial benefits to those children that received it. In contrast to the overall study findings that showed the largest benefits for high quality medication management (regardless of whether given in the MedMgt or Comb group), secondary analyses revealed that Comb had a significant incremental effect over MedMgt (with a small effect size for this comparison) when categorical indicators of excellent response and when composite outcome measures were used. In addition, children with parent-defined comorbid anxiety disorders, particularly those with overlapping disruptive disorder comorbidities, showed preferential benefits to the Beh and Comb interventions. Parental attitudes and disciplinary practices appeared to mediate improved response to the Beh and Comb interventions.

Response was significantly greater with osmotically released methylphenidate than with atomoxetine. One-third of patients who received methylphenidate followed by atomoxetine responded better to one or the other, suggesting that there may be preferential responders.