title: Cytogenetic Effects of Chronic Methylphenidate Treatment and Chronic Social Stress in Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Methylphenidate (MPH) is widely used to treat childhood and adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, there are still safety concerns about side effects in long-term treatment. The aim of this study was to assess cytogenetic effects of chronic MPH treatment in adult ADHD and to find out if chronic social stress is attenuated by medication and to investigate whether chronic psychosocial stress leads to mutagenic effects by itself.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lymphocytes for micronucleus assay and saliva samples for cortisol measurement were collected from adult ADHD patients and healthy controls. Stress exposure of the last 3 months was assessed by TICS (Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We could not detect an influence of MPH treatment on cytogenetic markers. ADHD patients displayed significantly higher chronic stress levels measured by TICS compared to healthy controls which were influenced by duration of MPH treatment. ADHD patients also showed significantly lower basal cortisol levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We could corroborate that there are neither cytogenetic effects of chronic stress nor of chronic MPH intake even after several years of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kittel-Schneider
authors.affiliation: Institute of Toxikology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spiegel
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Renner
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romanos
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reif
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reichert
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heupel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schnetzler
authors.affiliation: Institute of Toxikology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stopper
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hospital of Nürtingen, Nürtingen, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jacob
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008774:Methylphenidate; D006854:Hydrocortisone