Growth hormone and prolactin response to methylphenidate in children with attention deficit disorder

Utilizing a double-blind, drug-placebo design, we examined growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (Pro) response to oral administration of methylphenidate (MPH) in 14 boys (ages 7.0-12.4 years) with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Four conditions representing three different MPH doses (0.3 mg/kg O.D., 0.3 mg/kg B.I.D., 0.6 mg/kg O.D.) and Placebo were compared in each subject, each condition lasting for a period of 3 weeks. GH and Pro response were measured both as maximum peak GH (DGH) or nadir of Pro (DPro) as well as area under the curve for the first four hours after MPH administration (AUCGH, AUCPro). Behavioral measures included parent ratings on the Yale Children's Inventory and teacher ratings on the Yale and Conners Behavior Rating Scales and Kagan's Matching Familiar Figures Test (MFFT). Prolactin response as measured by AUCPro was significantly increased after MPH compared to placebo (t = 2.04, p less than 0.05, placebo vs all doses MPH). This difference observed for AUCPro between placebo and MPH was evident as well when we considered the number of times AUCPro declined after MPH as compared to placebo (p = .018, Fisher's exact test). Within-subjects analysis of covariance demonstrated significant correlations between the improvement in reaction time on the MFFT and 1) GH response (AUCGH, r = .58, p less than .001) and 2) prolactin response (AUCPro, r = .40, p less than .05) and between improvement in attention as measured on the Yale BRS and GH response (AUCGH, r = .57, p less than .05). Our findings suggest that measures other than GH and prolactin may be more desirable measures of brain catecholaminergic functioning.