Study of the Effects of Osmotic-Release Oral System (OROS) Methylphenidate (Concerta) on Attention and Memory

Phase 4

Completed

Conditions: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Interventions: Drug: Placebo
Drug: OROS-methylphenidate

Registration Number: NCT00530257

Lead Sponsor: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Brief Summary: This study investigates whether OROS-methylphenidate improves performance on different aspects of attention and memory in children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Detailed Description: This study investigates the effect of Osmotic-Release Oral System (OROS)-methylphenidate, a long-acting stimulant, on multiple dimensions of attention and on working memory. Specifically, we will investigate the following two hypotheses: (1) OROS-methylphenidate will result in improved performance on measures assessing multiple domains of attention, including sustained attention, attentional control, selective attention, and divided attention, and (2) OROS-methylphenidate will result in improved performance on measures of working memory. In addition we will use the study to collect pilot data on whether the magnitude of the effect of OROS-methylphenidate varies across the different components of attention and working memory and whether improvement across any of these measures is helpful in predicting parent or teacher ratings of improvement.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 30

Inclusion Criteria

Meets Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV Edition (DSM-IV) Criteria for ADHD.Combined Type
Parent and Teacher Ratings >85 percentile on inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity scales
Estimated Intelligence Quotient (IQ) > 80 on Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence or similar IQ test

Exclusion Criteria

Past or current diagnosis of Tourette syndrome or chronic tic disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), Cerebral Palsy, Head Injury requiring hospitalization, psychotic disorder, hypertension, glaucoma, cardiovascular disease, severe narrowing of the gastrointestinal tract, or epilepsy
Current diagnosis of bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder serious enough to warrant separate treatment, suicidal or homicidal behavior or ideation
Use within 14-days of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor
History of side effects on any methylphenidate preparation that required stopping the medication
Inability to swallow a capsule or tablet
Chronic treatment with coumarin, clonidine, or tricyclic antidepressants

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Placebo	Placebo	Placebo (sugar pill);Subjects will be equally randomized and will receive one week of treatment with placebo and compared to subjects who were randomized to receive one week of OROS-methylphenidate.
OROS-methylphenidate	OROS-methylphenidate	Subjects will be equally randomized and will receive one week of treatment with the optimal dose of OROS methylphenidate compared with subjects randomized to receive one week of placebo.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Test of Everyday Attention for Children: Walk, Don't Walk	2 weeks	The TEA-Ch is a battery of nine subtests designed to assess multiple attentional capacities in children 6-16y.o. The Walk-Don't Walk subtest is a measure of sustained attention and response inhibition. Scores on this subtest can range from 0 to 20 with higher scores representing better performance.
Gordon Diagnostic System Continuous Performance Test	2 weeks	This is a measure of sustained attention \& response inhibition for children 6 yrs and older. During this task a series of numbers flash, one at a time, on a screen. The subject is told to press a button every time a "1" is followed by a "9". There are 45 possible correct responses over the 9-minute task. Omission errors are a measure of sustained attention and can range from 0 to 45. Commission errors are a measure of sustained attention and response inhibition can range from zero to hundreds (each time the button is pushed at the incorrect time). Lower scores indicate better performance.
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV, Digit Span Subtest	2 weeks	The verbal assessment of working memory uses the digit span reversed component of the Digit Span subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV edition (WISC-IV).Scores could range from 0 to 16 with higher scores indicating better performance.
Test of Everyday Attention for Children-Sky Search Dual Task	2 weeks	The TEA-Ch is a battery of nine subtests designed to assess multiple attentional capacities in children 6-16y.o. The Sky Search Dual Task is a measure of sustained attention. Lower scores indicate better performance. There is not a finite range for this test and very high scores can be negative numbers.
Test of Everyday Attention for Children: Score Dual Task (DT)	2 weeks	The TEA-Ch is a battery of nine subtests designed to assess multiple attentional capacities in children 6-16y.o. The Score DT subtest is a measure of sustained attention. and response inhibition. Scores on this subtest can range from 0 to 20 with higher scores representing better performance.
Test of Everyday Attention for Children: Creature Counting	2 weeks	The TEA-Ch is a battery of nine subtests designed to assess multiple attentional capacities in children 6-16y.o. The Creature Counting subtest is a measure of attentional control. There is not a finite range for this test, but lower scores indicate better performance.
Test of Everyday Attention for Children: Map Mission	2 weeks	The TEA-Ch is a battery of nine subtests designed to assess multiple attentional capacities in children 6-16y.o. The Map Mission subtest is a measure of selective attention and indicates the number of targets found in one minute. Scores on this subtest can range from 0 to over 70 with higher scores representing improved performance.
Test of Everyday Attention for Children: Sky Search	2 weeks	The TEA-Ch is a battery of nine subtests designed to assess multiple attentional capacities in children 6-16y.o. The Sky Search subtest is a measure of selective attention. There is not a finite range of scores on this subtest, but lower scores indicate better performance.
Test of Everyday Attention for Children: Opposite Worlds	2 weeks	The TEA-Ch is a battery of subtests designed to assess multiple attentional capacities in children 6-16y.o. The Opposite Worlds subtest is a measure of attentional control and response inhibition. There is not a finite range of scores on this test. Lower scores indicate better performance..

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function	2 Weeks
ADHD Rating Scale-IV, Parent and Teacher Version	2 Weeks	This is the parent and teacher version of the ADHD Rating Scale-IV. The scale has 2 subscales, one for inattention and one for hyperactivity-impulsivity. The scores provided are percentile scores and can range from 1 to 99 percent. Higher scores indicate more problems in inattention or with hyperactivity-impulsivity