Young Children with ADHD And Coexisting Disorders Do Not Respond Well to Therapy
Filed Under (Health) by David on 04-02-2010
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Preschoolers with Attention/Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are not likely to respond to treatment with the stimulant methylphenidate (e.g., Concerta, McNeil Pediatrics), regardless of the dosage, if they also have three or more coexisting disorders.
These findings were revealed in an analysis from the Preschoolers with ADHD Treatment Study (PATS). Previous PATS results showed that overall, low doses of methylphenidate were safe and effective in treating ADHD drug in children between three and five years of age.
Analyzing data from 165 children, researchers from the University of Arizona examined demographic and family characteristics that might predict response to ADHD tablets treatment. Among the children, 29% had no coexisting disorders, 42% had one coexisting disorder, 21% had two coexisting disorders, and 9% had three or more. The most common coexisting disorders were Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, and anxiety disorders .
Children with no disorders or only one coexisting disorder were most likely to respond to methylphenidate; those with two coexisting disorders were moderately likely to respond; and children with three or more coexisting disorders did not respond at all. Children with three or more coexisting disorders were more likely to have a lower socioeconomic status, to live with parents who were less educated and unemployed, and to live in a single-parent household.
The findings were consistent with the NIMH-funded Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD, which found that school-aged children with more coexisting disorders were less likely to respond to ADHD treatment.
(Source: J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2007;17[5]:563-580, 2007.)