title: The Trend in Morning Levels of Salivary Cortisol in Children With ADHD During 6 Months of Methylphenidate Treatment.
abstract: To determine the trend in cortisol levels in children with ADHD treated with methylphenidate (MPH) and nontreated healthy controls over a 6-month period.
  
  
  
  The morning salivary cortisol levels of 50 patients with ADHD (40 boys and 10 girls, mean age = 7.6 years) and 50 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were measured at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months from baseline. The neuropsychological performance of the ADHD patients was measured via administration of the Continuous Performance Test.
  
  
  
  The cortisol levels of ADHD patients increased significantly after 1 month of MPH treatment before decreasing to an intermediate level, but were significantly positively correlated with neuropsychological performance throughout the 6-month treatment period. The cortisol levels of the controls did not change significantly over the 6-month period.
  
  
  
  MPH administration appears to positively influence the functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in ADHD patients.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital - Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Liang-Jen
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Child Psychiatry and Sleep center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linko, Taoyuan, Taiwan.|3 Chang Gung University School of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Shu
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Psychiatry, Chia-Yi Christian Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.affiliation: 3 Chang Gung University School of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.|5 Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Keelung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Ken
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: 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; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000187:drug effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008774:Methylphenidate; D006854:Hydrocortisone