title: Reduced pain perception in children and adolescents with ADHD is normalized by methylphenidate.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study examined pain perception in children and adolescents with ADHD and the interaction between pain perception and the administration of methylphenidate (MPH) in order to generate hypotheses for further research that will help to clarify the association between ADHD diagnosis, MPH treatment and pain perception.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 260 children and adolescents of the "German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents" (KiGGS) and analyzed parent's assessments of children's pain distribution and pain perception, as well as the influence of MPH administration on pain perception in affected children and adolescents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pain perception was associated with ADHD and MPH administration, indicating that children and adolescents suffering from ADHD without MPH treatment were reported to have lower pain perception compared to both, healthy controls (HC) and ADHD patients medicated with MPH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that reduced pain perception in children and adolescents with ADHD not medicated with MPH may lead to higher risk tolerance by misjudgments of dangerous situations, expanding the importance of MPH administration in affected children and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Katya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rubia
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Hildtraud
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Knopf
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hölling
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ehrlich
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Veit
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Roessner
keywords: ADHD; Dopamine; Methylphenidate; Opioid system; Pain