The acute effect of methylphenidate in Brazilian male children and adolescents with ADHD: A randomized clinical trial

• Published in: Journal of attention disorders 2004-10, Vol.8 (2), p.37-43
• Main Authors: Szobot, C. M., Ketzer, C., Parente, M. A., Biederman, J., Rohde, L. A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnosis; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - drug therapy; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - ethnology; Attention Deficit Disorders; Brazil; Central Nervous System Stimulants - administration & dosage; Central Nervous System Stimulants - therapeutic use; Child; Children; Conners Rating Scales; Continuous Performance Test; Cultural Influences; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Double-Blind Method; Drug Administration Schedule; Drug Therapy; Effect Size; Foreign Countries; Humans; Hyperactivity; Individual Characteristics; Male; Males; Methylphenidate - administration & dosage; Methylphenidate - therapeutic use; Outcomes of Treatment; Psychological Tests; Rating Scales; Severity of Illness Index; Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
• ISSN: 1087-0547; 1557-1246
• DOI: 10.1177/108705470400800201

Objective: To evaluate the acute efficacy of methylphenidate (MPH) in Brazilian male children and adolescents with ADHD. Method: In a 4-day, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, fix dose escalating, parallel-group trial, 36 ADHD children and adolescents were allocated to two groups: MPH (n = 19) and placebo (n = 17). Participants were evaluated pre- and posttreatment using the 10-item Conners Abbreviated Rating Scale (ABRS), the Children’s Global Assessment Scale (CGAS), and a simplified version of the Continuous Performance Test (CPT). Results: The MPH group had a significantly greater decrease in ABRS scores and a significantly higher increase in CGAS scores than the placebo group (p < 0.01). The MPH group showed also a significantly higher proportion of patients with a robust improvement (decrement of at least 50% in the ABRS score after the intervention) than the placebo group (p < 0.01). The MPH effect size for the ABRS was 1.05 (95% CI = 0.73-1.37). Conclusion: Our results extend the efficacy of MPH on the ADHD core symptoms extensively demonstrated in clinical trials with samples from some developed countries to a sample from a developing country where a diverse culture may modulate the clinical presentation of the disorder.