title: Late potentials in the signal-averaged electrocardiogram in pre-pubertal children with ADHD, before and after methylphenidate treatment.
abstract: Reports on sudden cardiac death (SCD) of children and adolescents treated with stimulant agents have raised concerns regarding the need for cardiovascular monitoring and risk stratification schedules. Cardiac ventricular late potentials (LPs) represent delayed ventricular activation that might predispose to fatal ventricular arrhythmias and SCD in cardiac patients. LPs have not previously been measured in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). LPs were measured in 18 physically healthy ADHD children (5 girls and 13 boys, age 11.9 ± 2.5 years, treatment duration 2.6 ± 1.9 years) before and 2 h after oral methylphenidate administration. No significant changes were detected and LPs were found to be within normal ranges. In conclusion, this preliminary small-scale study suggests that methylphenidate in physically healthy children with ADHD was not associated with cardiac ventricular LPs, suggesting the safety of the agent in this age group.
authors.affiliation: The Davidoff Cancer Center, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tikva, Israel. EitanN@clalit.org.il
authors.forename: Eitan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nahshoni
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Golubchik
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Glazer
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sever
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Strasberg
authors.forename: Shula
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imbar
authors.forename: Gal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shoval
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weizman
authors.forename: Gil
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zalsman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008774:Methylphenidate