title: Methylphenidate Reduces State Anxiety During a Continuous Performance Test That Distinguishes Adult ADHD Patients From Controls.
abstract: We hypothesized that patients with ADHD were typified by distress more than by functional difficulties. Thus, a decline in state anxiety while performing a cognitive task when taking methylphenidate would discriminate between ADHD patients and controls.
  
  
  
  State anxiety and cognitive performance on a continuous performance test were assessed in ADHD patients and controls with and without taking methylphenidate.
  
  
  
  State anxiety and cognitive performance improved from baseline in 36 ADHD adults after taking methylphenidate. In 25 controls, cognitive performance improved, but state anxiety did not abate after a recess. In two additional studies, 5 controls were evaluated at baseline and after receiving methylphenidate, and showed improvement in cognitive assessment but not in state anxiety. Five ADHD adults were assessed at baseline and after a recess, and showed no improvement.
  
  
  
  Our results support the hypothesis that adult ADHD patients are characterized by distress and the relief of this distress under effective therapy as expressed by a decline in state anxiety while they perform a cognitive task.
authors: 1 Shalvata Mental Health Care Center, Hod-Hasharon, Israel.|2 Tel-Aviv University, Israel.
authors: Yuval
authors: Y
authors: Bloch
authors: 1 Shalvata Mental Health Care Center, Hod-Hasharon, Israel.|2 Tel-Aviv University, Israel.|3 Haifa University, Haifa, Israel.
authors: Shai
authors: S
authors: Aviram
authors: 1 Shalvata Mental Health Care Center, Hod-Hasharon, Israel.
authors: Aviv
authors: A
authors: Segev
authors: 1 Shalvata Mental Health Care Center, Hod-Hasharon, Israel.|2 Tel-Aviv University, Israel.
authors: Uri
authors: U
authors: Nitzan
authors: 1 Shalvata Mental Health Care Center, Hod-Hasharon, Israel.|2 Tel-Aviv University, Israel.
authors: Yechiel
authors: Y
authors: Levkovitz
authors: 1 Shalvata Mental Health Care Center, Hod-Hasharon, Israel.|4 Ariel University Center of Samaria, Israel.
authors: Yoram
authors: Y
authors: Braw
authors: 1 Shalvata Mental Health Care Center, Hod-Hasharon, Israel.|2 Tel-Aviv University, Israel.|5 Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, Ra'anana, Israel.
authors: Aviva
authors: A
authors: Mimouni Bloch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008774:Methylphenidate
keywords: adult ADHD; anxiety; assessment; methylphenidate