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. 2020 Sep;30(7):414-426.
doi: 10.1089/cap.2020.0004. Epub 2020 Jul 9.

Effects of Extended-Release Methylphenidate Treatment on Cognitive Task Performance in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Deborah A Pearson  1 , Cynthia W Santos  1 , Michael G Aman  2 , L Eugene Arnold  2 , David M Lane  3 , Katherine A Loveland  1 , Rosleen Mansour  1 , Anthony R Ward  1 , Charles D Casat  4 , Susan Jerger  5 , Russell J Schachar  6 , Oscar G Bukstein  7 , Lynne A Cleveland  1
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Effects of Extended-Release Methylphenidate Treatment on Cognitive Task Performance in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Deborah A Pearson et al. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2020 Sep.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of four doses of psychostimulant medication, combining extended-release methylphenidate (ER-MPH) in the morning with immediate-release MPH (IR-MPH) in the afternoon, on cognitive task performance. Method: The sample comprised 24 children (19 boys and 5 girls) who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria for an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-R and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, and had significant symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This sample consisted of elementary school-age, community-based children (mean chronological age = 8.8 years, SD = 1.7; mean intelligence quotient = 85; SD = 16.8). Effects of placebo and three dose levels of ER-MPH (containing 0.21, 0.35, and 0.48 mg/kg equivalent of IR-MPH) on cognitive task performance were compared using a within-subject, crossover, placebo-controlled design. Each of the four MPH dosing regimens (placebo, low-dose MPH, medium-dose MPH, and high-dose MPH) was administered for 1 week; the dosing order was counterbalanced across children. Results: MPH treatment was associated with significant performance gains on cognitive tasks tapping sustained attention, selective attention, and impulsivity/inhibition. Dose/response was generally linear in the dose range studied, with no evidence of deterioration in performance at higher MPH doses in the dose range studied. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that MPH formulations are associated with significant improvements on cognitive task performance in children with ASD and ADHD.

Keywords: ADHD; ASD; cognitive tasks; stimulants.

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Figures

FIG. 1.
FIG. 1.
Study recruitment and retention.
FIG. 2.
FIG. 2.
Performance on the continuous performance task as a function of methylphenidate dose.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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