Subtypes of aggression in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: medication effects and comparison with typical children.
We examined aggressive behavior in 6- to 12-year-old children, including 20 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on stimulant medication, 19 children with ADHD on placebo (n = 19), and 32 controls. Children completed a laboratory provocation task designed to measure hostile, instrumental, reactive, and proactive aggression. Children in the ADHD-placebo group exhibited increased proactive and reactive aggression following high levels of provocation compared to controls. On the last trials, instrumental aggression dissipated for controls and hostile aggression dissipated for children in the ADHD-placebo group. Both instrumental and hostile aggression dissipated for children in the ADHD-medication group.
King
Sara
S
Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University and IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. sara.king@dal.ca
Waschbusch
Daniel A
DA
Pelham
William E
WE
Frankland
Bradley W
BW
Corkum
Penny V
PV
Jacques
Sophie
S
D000374:Aggression / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000523:psychology*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants