Response to methylphenidate in boys with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

The response to methylphenidate was examined in 36 boys, aged 7–11 y, with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, crossover design. Hyperactivity and conduct problems were significantly reduced during methylphenidate treatment. Stimulant medication was associated with improvements on tests of sustained attention, working memory and motor steadiness. When individual changes were studied, it was found that 83% showed a significant improvement in their hyperactivity at home or at school, and for 60% their levels of hyperactive behaviour were within the normal range. High levels of hyperactivity at school and relatively low age were significant predictors of normalization of hyperactivity in at least one setting. However, these predictors could only classify correctly 71% of the children. In clinical practice a trial with stimulants is indicated in ADHD children who show symptoms that are sufficiently severe to cause impairment at home and at school.

A systematic review and economic model of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and atomoxetine for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents

“…42,91 In addition to these studies, two reported measuring hyperactivity for parents and teachers using a Conners' questionnaire, 46,68 and one measured hyperactivity only using the CTRS. 98 Five of the studies also measured hyperactivity using additional scales. 42,43,68,91,98 Table 6 presents the means and SD for the results of these studies (where reported).…”

“…98 Five of the studies also measured hyperactivity using additional scales. 42,43,68,91,98 Table 6 presents the means and SD for the results of these studies (where reported). Two of the studies used a parallel design.…”

Neuroimaging-Aided Prediction of the Effect of Methylphenidate in Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Several studies have attempted to predict MPH efficacy using clinical characteristics including age (Buitelaar et al, 1995;Zeiner et al, 1999), IQ (Buitelaar et al, 1995), symptoms, disorder severity (Buitelaar et al, 1995;Zeiner et al, 1999), and neuropsychological test scores (Lee et al, 2009). Recently, more objective biomedical predictors (Hermens et al, 2006) of brain function Cho et al, 2007;Ilgin et al, 2001;la Fougere et al, 2006;Sangal and Sangal, 2004;Schweitzer et al, 2003) have been used (see also Supplementary Materials).…”

Factors related to methylphenidate response in children with attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder: a retrospective study

“…The ADHD literature has revealed that the most consistent predictors of a positive response to stimulants include higher levels of attention deficiency (8)(9)(10)(11), higher levels of hyperactivity (10,12,13), younger age (8,11), and higher intellectual functioning (8,14,15). The most consistent predictor of a negative stimulant medication response is comorbidity of internalizing psychopathology (8,13,16,17).…”