Evaluation of pharmacological treatment of impulsivity in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

We used an assessment that involved competing reinforcer dimensions in a concurrent-schedules arrangement to examine the effects of stimulant medication on impulsivity (i.e., sensitivity of choices to reinforcer immediacy relative to rate, quality, and effort) with 4 students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The assessments were administered in the context of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, counterbalanced reversal design. Reinforcer immediacy was the most influential dimension for 3 of the students and the second most influential dimension for 1 of the students across placebo and medication conditions; medication did not affect these sensitivities.

Figure 1. Illustration of a trial sequence.

Figure 2. Response alternatives for each of the assessment conditions.

Figure 3. The percentage of time allocation to problems associated with competing reinforcer dimensions across assessment conditions during medication and placebo phases for Rita, Al, Lynn, and Rex.