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Published in: Journal of Neural Transmission 5/2009

01-05-2009 | Biological Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - Original Article

Response to methylphenidate in children and adolescents with ADHD: does comorbid anxiety disorders matters?

Authors: Sheila P. Garcia, Julia Guimarães, Juliana F. Zampieri, Ana Luiza Martinez, Guilherme Polanczyk, Luis Augusto Rohde

Published in: Journal of Neural Transmission | Issue 5/2009

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Abstract

There are controversial evidence in the literature on the role of comorbid anxiety disorders (ANX) in the improvement of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms with methylphenidate (MPH) treatment. Our main objective was to assess differences in the response to MPH treatment in children and adolescents with ADHD with and without comorbid ANX. We extensively evaluated response to MPH in a naturalistic study of 280 children and adolescent with ADHD according to DSM-IV criteria. Psychiatric diagnoses (ADHD, ANX, and other comorbidities) were assessed by semi-structured interviews (K-SADS-E). Response to MPH was assessed by means of total score in the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham Scale-version IV (SNAP-IV) after 1 month of treatment. There was no significant between-group difference in the response to treatment with MPH after 1 month either when SNAP-IV scores were assessed dimensionally or categorically (moderate response) (P > 0.05). Our findings suggest that comorbid ANX do not interfere in the response to MPH on core ADHD symptoms.
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Metadata
Title
Response to methylphenidate in children and adolescents with ADHD: does comorbid anxiety disorders matters?
Authors
Sheila P. Garcia
Julia Guimarães
Juliana F. Zampieri
Ana Luiza Martinez
Guilherme Polanczyk
Luis Augusto Rohde
Publication date
01-05-2009
Publisher
Springer Vienna
Published in
Journal of Neural Transmission / Issue 5/2009
Print ISSN: 0300-9564
Electronic ISSN: 1435-1463
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-009-0211-3

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