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Clonidine for sleep disturbances associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a systematic chart review

J B Prince1, T E Wilens, J Biederman

  • 1Acute Psychiatry Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, USA.

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
|May 1, 1996
PubMed

Insights

Clonidine effectively treated sleep disturbances in children and adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Most patients showed significant improvement with mild side effects, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic option.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Psychopharmacology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

  • Sleep disturbances are common in children and adolescents with ADHD.
  • These sleep issues can occur with or without psychostimulant medication.
  • This study investigates clonidine as a treatment for ADHD-related sleep problems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of clonidine in managing sleep disturbances in pediatric ADHD patients.
  • To assess the safety and effectiveness of clonidine for ADHD-associated sleep issues.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic database search of 62 patients (42 children, 20 adolescents) treated with clonidine for ADHD-related sleep disturbances.
  • Retrospective assessment of sleep disturbance type and severity before and after clonidine treatment.
  • Analysis of patient response based on age, gender, comorbidity, and concurrent pharmacotherapy.

Main Results:

  • 85% of patients experienced significant improvement in sleep disturbances with clonidine.
  • Average nighttime clonidine dose was 157 mcg, with treatment duration averaging 35.5 months.
  • Response to clonidine was consistent across different patient subgroups and types of sleep disturbances; mild adverse effects were reported in 31%.

Conclusions:

  • Clonidine appears to be an effective treatment for sleep disturbances in children and adolescents with ADHD.
  • The findings support further controlled research into clonidine's use for ADHD-related sleep issues.
  • Clonidine offers a potential therapeutic avenue for improving sleep in this population.
Abstract

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