title: Effect of Atomoxetine Treatment on Reading and Phonological Skills in Children with Dyslexia or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Comorbid Dyslexia in a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.
abstract: Evaluated the effects of atomoxetine on the reading abilities of children with dyslexia only or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid dyslexia.
  
  
  
  Children aged 10-16 years (N = 209) met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria for dyslexia only (n = 58), ADHD and comorbid dyslexia (n = 124), or ADHD only (n = 27) and were of normal intelligence. Patients were treated with atomoxetine (1.0-1.4 mg/kg/day) or placebo in a 16-week, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. The dyslexia-only and ADHD and comorbid dyslexia groups were randomized 1:1; the ADHD-only group received atomoxetine in a blinded manner. Reading abilities were measured with the Woodcock Johnson III (WJIII), Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP), Gray Oral Reading Tests-4, and Test of Word Reading Efficiency.
  
  
  
  Atomoxetine-treated dyslexia-only patients compared with placebo patients had significantly greater improvement (p < 0.02) with moderate to approaching high effect sizes (ES) on WJIII Word Attack (ES = 0.72), Basic Reading Skills (ES = 0.48), and Reading Vocabulary (ES = 0.73). In the atomoxetine-treated ADHD and comorbid dyslexia group, improvement on the CTOPP Elision measure (ES = 0.50) was significantly greater compared with placebo (p < 0.02). Total, inattentive, and hyperactive/impulsive ADHD symptom reductions were significant in the atomoxetine-treated ADHD and comorbid dyslexia group compared with placebo, and from baseline in the ADHD-only group (p ≤ 0.02). ADHD symptom improvements in the ADHD and comorbid dyslexia group were not correlated with improvements in reading.
  
  
  
  Atomoxetine treatment improved reading scores in patients with dyslexia only and ADHD and comorbid dyslexia. Improvements for patients with dyslexia only were in critical components of reading, including decoding and reading vocabulary. For patients with ADHD and comorbid dyslexia, improvements in reading scores were distinct from improvement in ADHD inattention symptoms alone. These data represent the first report of improvements in reading measures following pharmacotherapy treatment in patients with dyslexia only evaluated in a randomized, double-blind trial.
authors.affiliation: 1 Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity , New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shaywitz
authors.affiliation: 1 Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity , New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Bennett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shaywitz
authors.affiliation: 2 Eli Lilly and Company and/or one of its subsidiaries , Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wietecha
authors.affiliation: 3 AVIDA, Inc. , Newport Beach, California.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wigal
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Psychiatry, University of California , San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McBurnett
authors.affiliation: 5 inVentiv Health Clinical , Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: 6 Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Kronenberger
authors.affiliation: 7 School of Medicine, University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Hooper
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069445:Atomoxetine Hydrochloride / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011932:Reading; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D000069445:Atomoxetine Hydrochloride
keywords: ADHD; atomoxetine; attention; comorbid dyslexia; dyslexia; reading; vocabulary