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The Effects of Stimulant Medication on the Online Story Narrations of Children with ADHD

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Abstract

The current study investigated the inclusion of goal-based story events in the online story narrations of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as compared with their peers, and explored the effect of stimulant medication on the narrations in children with ADHD. Children completed a narration task on two separate occasions. Children with ADHD (n = 17) completed one narration on medication and the other one on placebo. Results indicated that narrations of comparison children (n = 25) were significantly more likely than narrations of children with ADHD to include the story’s positive outcome, completion of the story’s overall goal, and specific attempts linked to the goal. Children with ADHD included a larger total number of clauses in their narrations when on stimulant medication than when on placebo, but medication showed no significant effects for any other variables. Results indicate that stimulant medication may not be effective at reducing goal-based story comprehension deficits in children with ADHD.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health Grant MH47386 and the National Institute on Drug Abuse grant DA 05312.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, 202A Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY, USA

    Karen J. Derefinko, Ursula L. Bailey, Richard Milich, Elizabeth P. Lorch & Elizabeth Riley

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  1. Karen J. Derefinko
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  2. Ursula L. Bailey
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  3. Richard Milich
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  4. Elizabeth P. Lorch
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Correspondence to Richard Milich.

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Derefinko, K.J., Bailey, U.L., Milich, R. et al. The Effects of Stimulant Medication on the Online Story Narrations of Children with ADHD. School Mental Health 1, 171–182 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-009-9017-6

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