Efficacy of reboxetine in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in boys with intolerance to methylphenidate: an open-label, 8-week, methylphenidate-controlled trial.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood. Principal treatment options for ADHD today include the psychostimulants, mainly methylphenidate (MPH). However, approximately 30% to 50% of children and adults with ADHD either do not respond to or do not tolerate treatment with stimulants. In this 8-week open-label, MPH-controlled, parallel group design study, we investigate the efficacy of reboxetine, a new selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, in the treatment of boys with ADHD with a history of intolerance to MPH therapy. METHOD: Twenty-seven outpatient boys, aged 6 to 16 years, diagnosed with ADHD, participated in the study. Those with a history of intolerance to MPH therapy were assigned to treatment with reboxetine (2-8 mg/d), and the rest were assigned to treatment with MPH (10-20 mg/d) as the control group. The primary outcome measure for this study was the change in rating scores on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, ADHD Scale (DAS) that was assessed at baseline and at 8 weeks. RESULTS: At the end of 8 weeks, both reboxetine and MPH treatment regimens resulted in significant improvement in ADHD symptoms. The change in the reduction in the total DAS score and the DAS subscale scores between the reboxetine group and the MPH group was not statistically significant in any of the scores. CONCLUSIONS: Although preliminary, results of this study indicate that the use of reboxetine, a new selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, in the treatment of ADHD could increase treatment options available for children who have shown intolerance or who are unresponsive to MPH.

Author information

Author/s: Cohen-Yavin, Iris (I); Yoran-Hegesh, Roni (R); Strous, Rael D (RD); Kotler, Moshe (M); Weizman, Abraham (A); Spivak, Baruch (B);

Affiliation: Beer Yaakov-Ness Ziona Mental Health Center, Ness Ziona, Beer Yaakov, Israel.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Controlled Clinical Trial; Journal Article

Journal: Clinical neuropharmacology (Clin Neuropharmacol), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: -2009 Jul-Aug; vol 32 (issue 4) : pp 179-82

Dates: Created 2009/07/31; Completed 2009/10/08;

PMID: 19644227, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 10/8/2009, IMS Date: )

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors - adverse effects; therapeutic use
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - drug therapy; physiopathology; psychology
Child
Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors - adverse effects; therapeutic use
Humans
Male

Male
Methylphenidate - adverse effects; therapeutic use
Morpholines - adverse effects; therapeutic use
Patient Dropouts
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Psychometrics
Treatment Outcome

Associated Chemicals: Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors (0) ; Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors (0) ; Morpholines (0) ; Methylphenidate (113-45-1) ; reboxetine (98769-81-4)

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