ABSTRACT
The effects of methylphenidate and behavioral self-control training on sustained attention were compared in 12 boys aged 6-9 years. Subjects were of low-average intelligence and had academic and behavioral problems including distractibility, short attention span, and impulsiveness. Treatment conditions (baseline, placebo, methylphenidate, and behavioral self-control training) were assigned according to a single-subject randomized blocks design. Attention was measured by the Children's Checking Test (CCT). Methylphenidate improved performance on the CCT and was superior to the other treatment conditions. Several children benefited from behavioral training, but statistical analysis of this change was nonsignificant. These results are consistent with and extend those of previous studies.
Subject(s)
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/therapy , Attention/drug effects , Behavior Therapy/methods , Methylphenidate/therapeutic use , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/drug therapy , Child , Humans , Individuality , Intelligence , MaleSubject(s)
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/diet therapy , Food Hypersensitivity/diet therapy , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/complications , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/diagnosis , Child , Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic , Food Hypersensitivity/complications , Food Hypersensitivity/diagnosis , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
WISC Coding A and Coding B were administered to 50 subjects with minimal brain dysfunction and 75 controls whose ages ranged from 7 yr., 8 mo. and 0 days to 8 yr., 3 mo. and 30 days, with half of each group above 8 and half below. Standard scores showed significant differences between Coding A and Coding B suggesting that the two tasks are not equivalent forms. These differences suggested that separate information-processing modes related to hemispheric dominance may be present. Coding probably should not be used in calculating IQs but Coding B should be retained and separately utilized because it is directly related to symbol learning.
Subject(s)
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/psychology , Wechsler Scales , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/diagnosis , Child , Dominance, Cerebral , Female , Humans , Male , Psychometrics , Social ClassSubject(s)
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/drug therapy , Deanol/therapeutic use , Ethanolamines/therapeutic use , Adolescent , Adult , Amphetamines/therapeutic use , Animals , Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic/therapeutic use , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/physiopathology , Carbamazepine/therapeutic use , Child , Child, Preschool , Chlorpromazine/therapeutic use , Deanol/adverse effects , Epilepsy/physiopathology , Heart Rate/drug effects , Humans , Learning/drug effects , Methylphenidate/therapeutic use , Pemoline/therapeutic use , Phenytoin/therapeutic use , Rats , Syndrome , Thioridazine/therapeutic useSubject(s)
Learning Disabilities/etiology , Pyloric Stenosis/complications , Starvation/complications , Child , Humans , InfantABSTRACT
Methylphenidate is a useful, proven method for the effective treatment of minimal brain dysfunction (MBD). Dosage should be titrated individually for each patient, and it is best to start with small doses given at least 15 to 30 minutes before meals. Toxicity, side effects, and drug abuse are not major problems. Unfortunately it is not yet possible to determine in advance who will and will not benefit from drug therapy; not all patients do. Treatment of MBD requires a multidisciplinary approach, for no one discipline alone can satisfactorily solve the problems involved. We believe, however, that medicine is the primary therapy in most instances.
