Attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity and methylphenidate: the effects of dose and mastery level on children's learning performance.
This investigation examined the relationship between methylphenidate (MPH) and the learning and recall of paired associations by children with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADDH). Forty-five children with ADDH were randomly assigned to one of three groups (novel, partial mastery, and mastery learning) that varied in the amount of previous learning of paired associations and participated in a double-blind, placebo-control, repeated-measures-across-dose (crossover) design. Each child received four doses of MPH (5 mg, 10 mg, 15 mg, and 20 mg) and a placebo in a random, counterbalanced sequence. The results indicated that both the rate of acquisition and accuracy in learning paired associations were significantly, but differentially, affected by MPH dose and the degree of learning mastery. The implications of these results for psychopharmacological research and the monitoring of psychostimulant effects on children's learning performance in academic settings are discussed.
Rapport
M D
MD
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, State University of New York, Stony Brook School of Medicine 11794.
Quinn
S O
SO
DuPaul
G J
GJ
Quinn
E P
EP
Kelly
K L
KL
D001245:Association Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D008774:Methylphenidate