title: Efficacy of modafinil compared to dextroamphetamine for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults.
abstract: Our objective was to compare the efficacy of the new wake-promoting drug modafinil to that of dextroamphetamine for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults. Twenty-two adults who met DSM-IV criteria for ADHD participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, three-phase crossover study comparing placebo, modafinil, and dextroamphetamine for the treatment of ADHD. The twice-daily study medications were titrated to doses of optimum efficacy over 4-7 days and then held constant during the rest of each 2-week treatment phase. Measures of improvement included the DSM-IV ADHD Behavior Checklist for Adults, the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT, using the letters C, F, and L version), Stroop, and Digit Span (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale version). For the 21 (96%) completers, the mean (+/- SD) optimum doses of modafinil and dextroamphetamine were 206.8 mg/day +/- 84.9 and 21.8 mg/day +/- 8.9, respectively. Scores on the DSM-IV ADHD Checklist (p < 0.001) were significantly improved over the placebo condition following treatment with both active medications. Performance on the COWAT (p < 0.05) reached trend levels of significance. Both medications were generally well tolerated. This preliminary study suggests that modafinil may be a viable alternative to conventional stimulants for the treatment of adults with ADHD.
authors.affiliation: Rainier Associates, Tacoma, Washington 98467, USA. taylor2@earthlink.net
authors.forename: F B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Russo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077408:Modafinil; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D014888:Wechsler Scales; D014936:Word Association Tests
chemical_list: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D000077408:Modafinil; D003913:Dextroamphetamine