ADHD Clinical Trial Research: Reading Links

In the upcoming week I will be reviewing a few recent clinical trials in ADHD.

Here are a few of the studies that caught my eye as recent and important research.

Clicking on the title will take you to the research abstract and for some studies a link to the free full-text manuscript.

Behavioral treatment for sleep problems in children with ADHD

Sleep problems are a common contributing factor to the clinical profile in ADHD. In this study, 244 children with ADHD received a standard behavioral intervention target at sleep hygiene. Children receiving the sleep intervention had improved ADHD symptoms at 3 and 6 months following the intervention.

In-school neurofeedback training for ADHD

This study examined the effects of neurofeedback, cognitive therapy and control intervention in a group of 104 children with ADHD. The study found superior sustained response to neurofeedback compared to response to cognitive therapy or the control intervention.

Eszopiclone for insomnia in ADHD

This study was a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of 1 and 2 mg of eszopiclone (Lunesta in U.S.) for treatment of insomnia in children with ADHD. The study failed to find a therapeutic effect for the drug in reducing time to sleep using sleep studies (polysomnography).

Edivoxetine in children with ADHD

Edivoxetine is an investigational drug that has selective norepinepherine reuptake inhibition. This randomized controlled study found evidence for efficacy in ADHD in children and adolescents between 6 and 17 years of age.

Methylphenidate enhances cognitive performance even in the absence of an ADHD diagnosis

This study looked at the effects of methylphenidate (Ritalin in the U.S.) in individuals with weak cognitive performance but no ADHD diagnosis. This group of individuals showed improvement in working-memory and sustained attention tasks. This study suggests stimulants may have a more general role in the treatment of cognitive deficits.

I was struck by the relatively few number of well-designed intervention studies published in ADHD over the last year. This is discouraging as the disorder is prevalent, has a high burden of suffering and desperately needs new treatment approaches.

Photo of roseate spoonbill is from the author's files.

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