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. 2020 Aug;59(8):978-989.
doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2019.06.019. Epub 2019 Aug 15.

Trajectories of Growth Associated With Long-Term Stimulant Medication in the Multimodal Treatment Study of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Laurence L Greenhill  1 , James M Swanson  2 , Lily Hechtman  3 , James Waxmonsky  4 , L Eugene Arnold  5 , Brooke S G Molina  6 , Stephen P Hinshaw  7 , Peter S Jensen  8 , Howard B Abikoff  9 , Timothy Wigal  10 , Annamarie Stehli  11 , Andrea Howard  12 , Michael Hermanussen  13 , Tomasz Hanć  14 ; MTA Cooperative Group
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Trajectories of Growth Associated With Long-Term Stimulant Medication in the Multimodal Treatment Study of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Laurence L Greenhill et al. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2020 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: To estimate long-term stimulant treatment associations on standardized height, weight, and body mass index trajectories from childhood to adulthood in the Multimodal Treatment Study of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (MTA).

Method: Of 579 children with DSM-IV ADHD-combined type at baseline (aged 7.0-9.9 years) and 289 classmates (local normative comparison group [LNCG]), 568 and 258 respectively, were assessed 8 times over 16 years (final mean age = 24.7). Parent interview data established subgroups with self-selected Consistent (n = 53, 9%), Inconsistent (n = 374, 66%), and Negligible (n = 141, 25%) stimulant medication use, as well as patients starting stimulants prior to MTA entry (n = 211, 39%). Height and weight growth trajectories were calculated for each subgroup.

Results: Height z scores trajectories differed among subgroups (F = 2.22, p < .0001) and by stimulant use prior to study entry (F = 2.22, p < .001). The subgroup-by-assessment interaction was significant (F = 2.81, p < .0001). Paired comparisons revealed significant subgroup differences at endpoint: Consistent was shorter than Negligible (-0.66 z units /-4.06 cm /1.6 inches, t = -3.17, p < 0.0016), Consistent shorter than Inconsistent (-0.45 z units /-2.74 cm /-1.08 inches, t = -2.39, p < .0172), and the Consistent shorter than LNCG (-0.54 z units/+3.34 cm/ 1.31 inches, t = -3.30, p < 0.001). Weight z scores initially diverged among subgroups, converged in adolescence, and then diverged again in adulthood when the Consistent outweighed the LNCG (+ 3.561 z units /+7.47 kg /+16.46 lb, p < .0001).

Conclusion: Compared with those negligibly medicated and the LNCG, 16 years of consistent stimulant treatment of children with ADHD in the MTA was associated with changes in height trajectory, a reduction in adult height, and an increase in weight and body mass index.

Clinical trial registration information: Multimodal Treatment Study of Children With Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (MTA); https://clinicaltrials.gov/; NCT00000388.

Keywords: ADHD; adult height; growth trajectory; longitudinal study; stimulant medication.

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Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Z-Height Trajectories Note: LNCG = local normative comparison group.
Figure 2:
Figure 2:
Z-Weight and Z-Body Mass Index (BMI) Trajectories by Subgroup Note: LNCG = local normative comparison group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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