Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Does extended medication with amphetamine or methylphenidate reduce growth in hyperactive children?

Anne Mari Sund1, Pål Zeiner

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.

Nordic Journal of Psychiatry
|March 1, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Extended stimulant treatment for hyperactive boys generally does not negatively impact growth. While some children, particularly those on amphetamine, may experience initial weight loss, most show adequate weight gain over time.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Relationships between parental factors and child anxiety and depressive symptoms in an indicated preventive intervention.

European child & adolescent psychiatry·2025
Same author

Behaviour ratings of executive functions in adolescents with ADHD: correlation with core symptoms and functional impairment measured by multiple informants.

Nordic journal of psychiatry·2025
Same author

Parental Involvement in Child Anxiety and Depression: Exploring the Impact of Delivery Format on Modifiable Parental Factors.

Child psychiatry and human development·2025
Same author

Protective factors for suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in adolescence: a longitudinal population-based cohort study examining sex differences.

BMC psychiatry·2025
Same author

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, parental stress, and attachment styles.

Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry·2025
Same author

The psychobiology of child and parental stress and the subjective perception of parental stress in a clinical sample of children.

Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry·2025

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Child Psychology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is commonly treated with stimulant medications.
  • Concerns exist regarding the long-term effects of these medications on child growth.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of extended stimulant treatment on growth parameters in hyperactive boys.
  • To compare the effects of amphetamine and methylphenidate on height and weight gain.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal study of 91 hyperactive boys aged 3-10 years undergoing treatment for at least 1 year.
  • Analysis of yearly mean height and weight percentiles compared to population norms.
  • Statistical comparison of weight gain between amphetamine and methylphenidate groups.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Most children's growth remained within the 25th to 90th percentile during treatment.
  • Amphetamine treatment was associated with significantly lower weight gain in the first year compared to methylphenidate.
  • A subset of children (more common with amphetamine) experienced initial weight loss, often those with higher pretreatment weights; however, they later achieved sufficient weight gain.

Conclusions:

  • Extended stimulant therapy with amphetamine or methylphenidate is generally safe for children's growth.
  • Weight loss in the first year can occur in some children, particularly those on amphetamines and with higher initial weights, but is usually temporary.
  • Neither cumulative drug dose nor age significantly affected growth when baseline measurements were controlled.