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
Review
. 2021 Feb:115:107627.
doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107627. Epub 2020 Dec 24.

Methylphenidate for attention problems in epilepsy patients: Safety and efficacy

Beth A Leeman-Markowski  1 , Jesse Adams  2 , Samantha P Martin  3 , Orrin Devinsky  4 , Kimford J Meador  5
Affiliations
Review

Methylphenidate for attention problems in epilepsy patients: Safety and efficacy

Beth A Leeman-Markowski et al. Epilepsy Behav. 2021 Feb.

Abstract

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have an increased risk of seizures, and children with epilepsy have an increased prevalence of ADHD. Adults with epilepsy often have varying degrees of attentional dysfunction due to multiple factors, including anti-seizure medications, frequent seizures, interictal discharges, underlying lesions, and psychiatric comorbidities. Currently, there are no approved medications for the treatment of epilepsy-related attentional dysfunction. Methylphenidate (MPH) is a stimulant, FDA-approved for the treatment of ADHD, and often used for ADHD in the setting of pediatric epilepsy. Large database and registry studies indicate safety of MPH in children with ADHD and epilepsy, with no significant effect on seizure frequency. Small single-dose and open-label studies suggest efficacy of MPH in adults with epilepsy-related attention deficits. Methylphenidate represents a possible treatment for attentional dysfunction due to epilepsy, but large, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded studies are needed.

Keywords: Attention; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Cognition; Epilepsy; Methylphenidate; Seizure.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest The authors report no potential conflicts of interest.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Advokat C. What are the cognitive effects of stimulant medications? Emphasis on adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2010; 34(8):1256–66. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.03.006. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bidwell LC, McClernon FJ, Kollins SH. Cognitive enhancers for the treatment of ADHD. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2011;99(2):262–74. doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2011.05.002. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Pietrzak RH, Mollica CM, Maruff P, Snyder PJ. Cognitive effects of immediate-release methylphenidate in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2006;30:1225–45. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2006.10.002. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Swanson J, Baler RD, Volkow ND. Understanding the effects of stimulant medications on cognition in individuals with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A decade of progress. Neuropsychopharmacology 2011;36(1):207–26. doi:10.1038/npp.2010.160. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kaufmann R, Goldberg-Stern H, Shuper A. Attention-deficit disorders and epilepsy in childhood: Incidence, causative relations and treatment possibilities. J Child Neurol 2009; 24(6):727–33. doi:10.1177/0883073808330165. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances