Psychological and Academic Functioning in College Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Heiligenstein, Eric; Guenther, Greta; Levy, Andrea; Savino, Felix; Fulwiler, Jan

doi:10.1080/07448489909595644

Cited by 215 publications

(188 citation statements)

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“…Although ADHD must first manifest in childhood to warrant diagnosis, numerous longitudinal research studies have shown that the symptoms of this disorder rmay continue into adulthood (Barkley, 1998;Shekim, Asarnow, Hess, Zaucha, & Wheeler, 1990). ADHD affects 2% and 11% of the college student population (DuPaul, Weyandt, O'Dell, & Varejao, 2009;Weyandt & DuPaul, 2008), and college students who are diagnosed with ADHD are at increased risk of being placed on academic probation, having a lower grade point average, experiencing more academic problems, and failing repeatedly than are students without this disorder (Blasé et al, 2009;Heiligenstein, Guenther, Levy, Savino, & Fulwiler, 1999;Norvilitis, Sun, & Zhang, 2010;Norwalk, Norvilitis, & MacLean, 2009). Despite these potential academic difficulties, young adults with ADHD are enrolling in postsecondary education in increasing numbers (Dipeolu, 2011;DuPaul et al, 2009;Weyandt & DuPaul, 2008), and all higher education institutions are mandated by federal law (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, 1977) to provide services and accommodations to ensure success in the academic and career pursuits of these students.…”

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confidence: 99%

The effects of distraction and a brief intervention on auditory and visual-spatial working memory in college students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Lineweaver

Kercood

O'Keeffe

et al. 2012

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology

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confidence: 99%

The effects of distraction and a brief intervention on auditory and visual-spatial working memory in college students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Lineweaver

Kercood

O'Keeffe

et al. 2012

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology

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“…This suggests that exposure to cocaine and other drugs of its class may have a greater potential for enhancing the addiction process among adolescents than among adults, both of which are growing populations exposed to MP (Shaffer 1994;Robin 1999). Given that the use of therapeutic stimulants has become extended (Heiligenstein et al 1999) and that adolescents may be more sensitive to aspects of the drug that make it more reinforcing, our animal model was appropriate for studies on the effects of adolescent MP exposure. …”

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confidence: 99%

Enhanced Reactivity and Vulnerability to Cocaine Following Methylphenidate Treatment in Adolescent Rats

Brandon

Marinelli²,

Baker

et al. 2001

Neuropsychopharmacology

225

147

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Treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with the psychostimulant drug methylphenidate (MP) has increased dramatically among schoolchildren. We tested whether repeated exposure to moderate doses of MP (5 and 10 mg/kg IP for 5 or 7 days) in adolescent rats increased reactivity to cocaine measured by motor responses (ambulations and rearing) to a cocaine challenge in adulthood. We later tested whether repeated exposure to a low dose of MP (2 mg/kg IP for 7 days) enhanced the psychomotor effects of cocaine, measured by different challenge doses (0-30 mg/kg) as well as to the reinforcing effects of cocaine, measured by self-administration of lowdose infusion (75 g/kg, IV). We found that exposure to moderate doses of MP enhanced psychomotor responses to cocaine but exposure to a low dose only increased cocaine self-administration. These results suggest that adolescent exposure to low doses of MP in rats mayMethylphenidate (Ritalin ® ) is used widely in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the most commonly diagnosed disorder of childhood (Swanson et al. 1998). During the 1990s, diagnosis and treatment of this disorder grew dramatically in the United States. Estimates show that up to 15% of school age children may be affected in certain geographical locations (Scahill and Schwab-Stone 2000) and that prevalence is estimated to be 5-10% in the general population (Swanson et al. 1998). In addition, preschoolers (Zito et al. 2000) and children who do not meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHD (Marshall 2000) have recently been identified as two new groups increasingly exposed to this drug. The duration of treatment is several years in childhood, more often extending into adolescence and adulthood (Garland 1998;Robin 1999;Silver 2000;Spencer et al. 2000).Animal studies have shown that MP is a psychostimulant, which, as with cocaine, blocks the dopamine transporter (DAT) (Kuczenski and Segal 1997); thereby increasing extracellular dopamine (DA) levels in the striatum and nucleus accumbens (Kuczenski 1983), brain regions involved in the locomotor and reinforcing effects of psychostimulants and other drugs of abuse (Koob and Bloom 1988 NO . 5 et al. 1999). Oral therapeutic doses of MP effectively block more than 50% of DATs (Volkow et al. 1998); thereby increasing extracellular DA levels (Volkow et al. 2001). These actions are highly associated with the reinforcing properties of drugs (Ritz et al. 1987). Taken together, the well-documented abuse potential of psychostimulants (for reviews see White and Wolf 1991;Robinson and Berridge 1993;Self and Nestler 1995), studies linking ADHD with subsequent substance abuse (Wilens et al. 1997;Clure et al. 1999;Schubiner et al. 2000), and the dearth of controlled studies on the effects of long-term stimulant exposure on the brain, all make MP exposure an important public health issue.Animal models of drug addiction clearly indicate that repeated exposure to psychostimulants results in augmented behaviors (sensitization) that can be detected lo...

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“…A2008 study, however, foundno more use of drugs and alcohol among those with ADHD than those without (Rabinereta.l, 2008). A much earlier study, in 1999,also found no difference in depression, anxiety, interpersonal relationships or substance use between those with and without ADHD (Heiligenstein et al, 1999).…”

Section: Knight Knight and Killionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…These behaviors interfere with classroom control and lead to poor academic performance for all students. Between 5 and 10% of children in the United States have been diagnosed with ADHD (Vance & Weyandt, 2008;Heiligenstein et al, 1999).Interestingly, African American and Hispanic children are diagnosed with ADHD at only half the rate of Caucasian children (Rothe, 2005) and Non-Hispanic white males have the highest rate of diagnosis (Vance &Weyandt, 2008). Though it used to be believed that children "outgrew" this disorder, it has now become more accepted among diagnosticians that this disorder continues into adulthood even though ADHD symptoms decrease with age by approximately 50% every five years (Heiligenstein, Conyers, Berns, & Smith, 1998).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…These findings, however, are not conclusive. Conflicting studies found that students with diagnosed ADHD graduated with GPAs similar to those without the disorder (Heiligenstein, Guenther, Levy, Savino, &Fulwiler, 1999;Sparks, Javorsky, & Philips, 2004) and did not have significantly more depression, anxiety and substance abuse problems (Heiligenstein, et al, 1999). There have been no studies of the long term effects of past and current ADHD medications on college performance.…”

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confidence: 99%

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The Effect of ADHD and Psychotropic Medication use on College Performance

Knight¹,

Knight²,

Killion³

2015

IJHS

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The use of psychotropic medication in children and adolescents has been increasing steadily over the past 20-25 years. Of particular concern are medications for the control of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (Olfson, Marcus, Weissman, & Jensen, 2002; National Conference of State Legislatures, 2004;Kelleher, McInerney, Gardner, Childs, & Wasserman, 2000;Safer, 1997;Zito, Riddle, Safer, & Magder, 1995). The percentage of college students using prescription psychoactive medications for ADHD is unknown. Of all medications used for this disorder, stimulants are most often prescribed for treatment of ADHD in this age group and are seen as an effective treatment for this disorder (Staufer & Greydanus, 2005;Baverstock & Finlay, 2003). Students enrolled at a regional university in South Texas were surveyed (N=199). Of students surveyed, only ten identified themselves as having been diagnosed with ADHD and of these only seven used prescribed medications. The most commonly prescribed medication was Ritalin, followed by Concerta, Adderal and Vivance. The behaviors the medications were used to control included: excitability, disruptive behavior, inability to be still, inability to concentrate and the inability to follow instructions. All students with diagnosed ADHD identified at least one of these behaviors as needing to be controlled. Two students reportedly had difficulties with four of the five listed behaviors, while most indicated at least two. Side effects of the medications mentioned by the students included: sleeplessness, loss of appetite, feelings of fatigue, headaches, dehydration, feeling like a zombie, and in one case, worse behavior. Several students indicated that they had moved from medication to medication in an effort to minimize these side effects. In two cases, use was discontinued because the side effects were so bothersome. In this study, students with self-reported ADHD, with or without medication, did not have a significantly lower GPA than those not diagnosed with ADHD. Though the overall mean was lower (2.799 for those with ADHD, compared to 2.968 for those without), this difference was too small to be significant.

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Psychological and Academic Functioning in College Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Cited by 215 publications

References 17 publications

The effects of distraction and a brief intervention on auditory and visual-spatial working memory in college students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

The effects of distraction and a brief intervention on auditory and visual-spatial working memory in college students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Enhanced Reactivity and Vulnerability to Cocaine Following Methylphenidate Treatment in Adolescent Rats

The Effect of ADHD and Psychotropic Medication use on College Performance

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