Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 May-Aug;5(2):114-8.
doi: 10.4103/2229-516X.157162.

Comparative efficacy of methylphenidate and atomoxetine in oppositional defiant disorder comorbid with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Jasmin Garg  1 , Priti Arun  1 , B S Chavan  1
Affiliations

Comparative efficacy of methylphenidate and atomoxetine in oppositional defiant disorder comorbid with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Jasmin Garg et al. Int J Appl Basic Med Res. 2015 May-Aug.

Abstract

Background: Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is frequently comorbid with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and is associated with substantial functional impairments. Methylphenidate and atomoxetine are well-established drugs for the management of ADHD. Some studies from Western countries have reported these drugs to be effective in the management of ODD comorbid with ADHD. This study aimed to assess if methylphenidate and atomoxetine are efficacious in treating Indian children with ODD comorbid with ADHD.

Subjects and methods: In this prospective, open-label study, 37 patients of age 6-14 years with a diagnosis of ODD comorbid with ADHD randomly received either methylphenidate (dose 0.2-1 mg/kg/day) or atomoxetine (dose 0.5-1.2 mg/kg/day) for 8 weeks. Improvements in ADHD and ODD symptoms were assessed using Vanderbilt ADHD diagnostic parent rating scale (VADPRS).

Results: At 8 weeks, there were statistically significant improvements in both ADHD and ODD symptoms in both methylphenidate and atomoxetine groups, as per VADPRS. The improvements produced and tolerability was comparable in the two groups. 80% of the patients from methylphenidate group and 64.3% patients from atomoxetine group ceased to fulfill the criteria for the presence of ODD at 8 weeks.

Conclusions: Methylphenidate and atomoxetine are effective in the treatment of ODD comorbid with ADHD in short duration.

Keywords: Atomoxetine; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; methylphenidate; oppositional defiant disorder.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Patient flowchart
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Text Revision. 4th ed. Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder.
    1. Turgay A. Psychopharmacological treatment of oppositional defiant disorder. CNS Drugs. 2009;23:1–17. - PubMed
    1. Hamilton SS, Armando J. Oppositional defiant disorder. Am Fam Physician. 2008;78:861–6. - PubMed
    1. Rader R, McCauley L, Callen EC. Current strategies in the diagnosis and treatment of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Am Fam Physician. 2009;79:657–65. - PubMed
    1. Kuhne M, Schachar R, Tannock R. Impact of comorbid oppositional or conduct problems on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1997;36:1715–25. - PubMed