In one of the largest ADHD classroom trials conducted to date, children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) achieved significantly greater improvement in both their behavior and attention, the core impairments of ADHD, with extended-release mixed amphetamine salts (MAS XR) compared to those treated with atomoxetine, reported investigators from the University of California, Irvine at the 157th annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in New York.
In the same study, those treated with MAS XR also achieved significantly greater improvement in academic productivity compared to those who received atomoxetine. The comparative St.A.R.T. (Strattera, Adderall XR Randomized Trial) findings also demonstrated similar mild or moderate side effects for the stimulant (MAS XR) and non-stimulant (atomoxetine) medications. This trial provides evidence for the first time of the superior efficacy of extended-release mixed amphetamine salts over atomoxetine in the management of ADHD symptoms.
"Children with ADHD often show impairment throughout the day, whether during school, after-school activities or the evening homework period, so it is welcome news that the extended-release formulation of once-daily mixed amphetamine salts significantly and consistently helped better control children's behavior and attention throughout a 12-hour analog classroom day, compared to atomoxetine, and did so with relatively few side effects," said Sharon Wigal, Director of Clinical Trials at the Child Development Center in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine.
"Parents and physicians can use this new information to make an informed choice when selecting ADHD medication to best help their children safely manage ADHD in the social and academic settings they encounter every day."
ADHD affects approximately 3 to 7 percent of all school-age children, or approximately two million children in the United States, and is considered the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder in children and adolescents. ADHD is a neurological brain disorder that manifests as a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable age and maturity. ADHD can have a profound effect on a child's quality of life and can be serious enough to interfere beyond academics, leading to problems maintaining friendships, focusing on sports and other after-school activities and relating well within the family.