ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Does Methylphenidate Normalize the Classroom Performance of Children with Attention Deficit Disorder?

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Abstract

The present study examined the degree to which methylphenidate (MPH) normalized the classroom behavior and academic functioning of 31 children with attention deficit disorder (ADD). Subjects with ADD participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in which children received each of four doses (5, 10, 15, and 20 mg) of MPH and a placebo following baseline measures. Children with ADD were compared with a group of 25 normal control children on teacher ratings of social conduct, direct observations of on-task behavior, and academic efficiency. At a group level of analysis, MPH exerted a significant effect on classroom measures of attention and academic efficiency to a point where they were no longer statistically deviant from scores obtained by normal control children. Nevertheless, when examined at the individual level, 25% of the sample failed to show normalized levels of classroom performance, thus implying the need for ancillary school-based interventions.

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    This project was supported in part by BRSG Grant S07 RR05712 awarded to the first author by the Biomedical Research Support Grant Program, Division of Research Resources, National Institutes of Health. A portion of these results was presented at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association, August 1991, in San Francisco, California. The authors extend their appreciation to Lucy Perriello and numerous undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Rhode Island for their invaluable contributions to this study.

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