title: Methylphenidate and emotional-motivational processing in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
abstract: In line with the assumption that emotional-motivational deficits are one core dysfunction in ADHD, in one of our previous studies we observed a reduced reactivity towards pleasant pictures in adult ADHD patients as compared to controls. This was indicated by a lack of attenuation of the startle reflex specifically during pleasant pictures in ADHD patients. The first choice medical agents in ADHD, methylphenidate (MPH), is discussed to normalize these dysfunctions. However, experimental evidence in the sense of double-blind placebo-controlled study designs is lacking. Therefore, we investigated 61 adult ADHD patients twice, one time with placebo and one time with MPH with the same experimental design as in our study previously and assessed emotion processing during the presentation of pleasant, neutral and unpleasant pictures. We obtained startle reflex data as well as valence and arousal ratings in association with the pictures. As previously shown, ADHD patients showed a diminished startle attenuation during pleasant pictures while startle potentiation during unpleasant pictures was normal. Valence and arousal ratings unsuspiciously increased with increasing pleasantness and arousal of the pictures, respectively. There were no significant influences of MPH. The study replicates that ADHD patients show a reduced reactivity towards pleasant stimuli. MPH did not normalize this dysfunction. Possibly, MPH only influences emotions during more complex behavioural tasks that involve executive functions in adults with ADHD. Our results emphasize the importance for the use of double-blind placebo-controlled designs in psychopharmacological research.
authors: Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Marcusstr. 9-11, 97070, Würzburg, Germany. Annette.conzelmann@med.uni-tuebingen.de.|Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. Annette.conzelmann@med.uni-tuebingen.de.
authors: Annette
authors: A
authors: Conzelmann
authors: Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Marcusstr. 9-11, 97070, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Woidich
authors: Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Marcusstr. 9-11, 97070, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Ronald F
authors: RF
authors: Mucha
authors: Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Marcusstr. 9-11, 97070, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Weyers
authors: Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Marcusstr. 9-11, 97070, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Mathias
authors: M
authors: Müller
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Klaus-Peter
authors: KP
authors: Lesch
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Christian P
authors: CP
authors: Jacob
authors: Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Marcusstr. 9-11, 97070, Würzburg, Germany. pauli@mail.uni-wuerzburg.de.
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Pauli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004576:Electromyography; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation / Q000187:drug effects*; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008774:Methylphenidate
keywords: ADHD; Adults; Emotion; Methylphenidate; Startle reflex