Methylphenidate compared with behavioral self-control in attention deficit disorder: preliminary report

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Child Psychiatry

Background:

• Children with low-average intelligence often exhibit attention deficits, impulsivity, and behavioral issues.
• Sustained attention is crucial for academic success and behavioral regulation in children.
• Methylphenidate and behavioral interventions are common approaches for managing attention problems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of methylphenidate and behavioral self-control training on sustained attention.
• To evaluate treatment effects in boys aged 6-9 years with attention and behavioral problems.

Main Methods:

• A single-subject randomized blocks design was employed.
• Twelve boys aged 6-9 years with attention deficits participated.
• Sustained attention was measured using the Children's Checking Test (CCT) across conditions: baseline, placebo, methylphenidate, and behavioral training.

Main Results:

• Methylphenidate demonstrated a significant improvement in sustained attention as measured by the CCT.
• Methylphenidate was statistically superior to placebo and behavioral self-control training.
• Behavioral self-control training showed some positive effects for individual children, but these changes were not statistically significant.

Conclusions:

• Methylphenidate is an effective treatment for improving sustained attention in children with attention deficits.
• Behavioral self-control training may offer benefits but requires further investigation for statistical significance in this population.
• Findings support and extend previous research on methylphenidate's impact on attention in children.