Methylphenidate hydrochloride reduces hyperactivity in children with pervasive development disorders
Q Does methylphenidate hydrochloride reduce hyperactivity and impulsiveness in children with pervasive development disorder?
METHODS
Design:
Crossover randomised controlled trial.
Allocation:
Concealed.
Blinding:
Double blind.
Follow up period:
Four weeks.
Setting:
Five university outpatient centres, USA; recruitment November 2001 to September 2003.
Patients:
Sixty six children (89% male) aged 5–14 years with DSM-IV autism, Asperger’s syndrome, or unidentified pervasive development disorder plus hyperactivity and/or impulsiveness for ≥6 months with onset before age 7. Exclusions: receiving psychotropic medication in previous 1–3 weeks; mental age <18 months; other neuropsychiatric disorders; moderate or severe tic disorder; seizures in the past six months; hypertension; other serious medical comorbidity; methylphenidate treatment in previous two years; previous adverse reaction to methylphenidate or adverse reaction to during tolerability testing.
Intervention:
Placebo followed by low dose methylphenidate (0.125 mg/kg), medium dose methylphenidate (0.25 mg/kg), or high …
