Methylphenidate and dextroamphetamine treatments of hyperactivity: are there true nonresponders?
The response to stimulant drugs of 48 boys with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder was measured following dextroamphetamine, methylphenidate, and placebo in a double-blind crossover study. To distinguish lack of behavioral improvement from adverse drug effects, a day hospital setting and a wide dose range were used. Both drugs were highly and equally efficacious for the group as a whole, and frequently one drug or the other was superior for an individual child, or adverse effects occurred only on one of the stimulants. Only one of the 48 boys (2%) was discharged without the recommendation for continued stimulant drug treatment. "Nonresponse" appears to be extremely rare when both stimulants and a wide range of doses are given.
Elia
J
J
Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Borcherding
B G
BG
Rapoport
J L
JL
Keysor
C S
CS
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003631:Day Care, Medical; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010919:Placebos; D012107:Research Design
D010919:Placebos; D008774:Methylphenidate; D003913:Dextroamphetamine