A new study has found that an all-day, extended-release stimulant for treating attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remains effective for up to two years without significant side effects.
In the October issue of the Journal of the American Association of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, a multi-institutional research team reports finding that treatment with Concerta, a once-daily form of the drug methylphenidate, successfully controlled ADHD symptoms in more than 200 children with ADHD. The study was supported by McNeil Pharmaceuticals, which manufactures Concerta.
"Although ADHD is recognized as a chronic disease, we've known very little about the effects of chronic treatment," says Timothy Wilens, MD, of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Pediatric Psychopharmacology Unit, lead author of the JAACAP report. "There have been concerns about whether the stimulant medications that are a mainstay of treatment continue to be effective, whether patients build up tolerance, or whether the drugs might have adverse effects on cardiovascular health or growth. This investigation sheds some important light on those questions."
The study initially enrolled more than 400 children, ages 6 to 13, who previously had participated in short-term, placebo-controlled trials of Concerta. In the new trial, all participants received the active medication at one of three dose levels. Dosage could be adjusted to improve effectiveness or reduce side effects. Participants' height and weight, blood pressure, heart rate and other clinical measures were taken at regular intervals during the study period. The children's parents and teachers were surveyed periodically regarding whether they believed treatment was effective in controlling ADHD symptoms