Objective: Methylphenidate has four optical isomers due to two asymmetries (erythro-threo and dextro-levo). The initial commercial formulation eliminated the erythro isomer, but the dextro-levo asymmetry was racemic, with equal amounts of d and l-threo isomers (d,l-MPH). Previous work has suggested that the d-threo isomer methylphenidate (d-MPH)…

Objective: To examine the relationship between time reproduction, performance variability, and sustained attention deficits in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) combined (ADHD-C) and inattentive (ADHD-I) subtypes, relative to matched controls. Method: Participants (age range 7.1-14.1 years) performed a time reproduction…

Objective: To evaluate the long-term tolerability and effectiveness of extended-release mixed amphetamine salts (MAS XR; Adderall XR[R]) in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method: This was a 24-month, multicenter, open-label extension of TWO placebo-controlled studies of MAS XR in children with ADHD aged 6 to 12…

Objective: To examine the effects of methylphenidate on different attentional functions and behavior in children with attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method: A total of 60 ADHD children aged between 8 and 12 years completed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject crossover trial with two doses of…

Sustained attention to visual and auditory stimuli and reflection-impulsivity were examined in 48 hyperactive and 48 normal 9 and 14 year old boys. Multivariate analyses, followed by univariate tests, indicated that the nonhyperactive Ss increased sustained attention efficiency with age to both visual and auditory Stimuli. Hyperactive Ss increased…

A study of the effects of inadequate nutrition upon disadvantaged children involved 113 Head Start children and their families. Information was collected on home diet, socioeconomic data, performance on intelligence tests, hemoglobin levels, class attendance, height, and weight to find out whether or not there was a relationship between nutrition…

A series of studies on hyperkinesis in learning disabled children conducted at Texas Tech University over the past 10 years is reviewed. The research is described to have included three phases: the development of a basic vigilance task for assessing hyperkinesis and attentional deficits (a computer controlled series of regularly occuring events to…

Eighteen hyperkinetic boys (ages 5-12) who had a history of successful drug treatment with methylphenidate were compared with a similar group of normal controls on a series of objective measures of activity and attentional problems. (Author/DLS)

Teacher ratings of the anomalous classroom behaviors of hyperactivity, inattention, perceptual-motor impairment, perserveration, and stereotype were examined as predictors of performance of 82 mentally retarded 6-18 year olds on a visual discrimination task. Weak but statistically reliable correlations were obtained. (Author/CL)

Results of the study involving 14 hyperactive boys (5-12 years old) indicated that activity and attention span are affected by methylphenidate even in highly stimulating, informal settings. (Author/SBH)

Reviews "Attention Deficit Disorder: ADHD and ADD Syndromes" (D. R. Jordan), a short book about the characteristics and differences between attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the effect they have on children and adults in their classrooms, home, and workplace. The book includes techniques for…

Objective: To test if visual focusing and mimic display as features of self-regulation in ADHD children show a curvilinear relation to rising methylphenidate (MPH) doses. To test if small dose steps of 2.5mg MPH cause significant changes in behavior. And to test the relation of these features to intellectual performance, parents' ratings, and…

Objective: Few previous studies assessed specifically attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, predominantly inattentive subtype (ADHD-I) in nonreferred samples. This study investigated the association between ADHD-I and prenatal exposure to nicotine. Method: In a case-control study performed between September 2002 and April 2005, we assessed a…

The present study was undertaken as a preliminary evaluation of a psychophysiological method for training children in the control of hyperactive behavior. The method involves breathing control and attention training which employs biofeedback and operant conditioning principles designed to help the child develop control over excessive and…