Data from a recent clinical study suggest that atomoxetine HCl significantly improved measures of psychosocial functioning (the impact of ADHD on various aspects of your life such as quality of relationships with family and peers) in children and adolescents who also had anxiety disorders. The results of the 12-week study were presented at the 159th annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association.

The functioning assessment was part of a larger trial, of which the primary endpoint was to examine atomoxetine's ability to treat ADHD in children and adolescents with ADHD and anxiety disorders. At the end of the study, atomoxetine significantly reduced ADHD symptoms such as inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity by 39 per cent, compared to a four percent improvement in patients taking sugar pill. Atomoxetine also significantly reduced anxiety symptoms like excessive worry, sweating and trembling by 32 per cent, compared with 19 per cent of patients taking sugar pill.

The secondary analysis examined atomoxetine's affect on patient functioning. At the end of the study, patients taking atomoxetine saw a significant improvement in functioning compared to sugar pill as measured on the following scales, Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC), 9 per cent improvement for atomoxetine vs. 4 percent worsening for sugar pill; Life Participation Scale for ADHD-Revised (LPS-ADHD-R), 31 per cent improvement for atomoxetine vs. 10 per cent improvement for sugar pill and the Child Health Questionnaire-Parent Completed Full Length (CHQ-PF50) 23 per cent improvement for atomoxetine vs. 11 percent improvement for sugar pill.

"Treating ADHD in children is challenging, because of the complexity of the disease and the presentation of underlying issues such as anxiety," said Daniel Geller, director of the Paediatric Obsessive Compulsive Disorder program at Massachusetts General Hospital in the Division of Paediatric Psychopharmacology. "This study suggests that atomoxetine improved ADHD and anxiety symptoms in children with both ADHD and anxiety disorders," he added.