TITLE:
Impact of Long-Term Treatment with OROS Methylphenidate on Pubertal Development in Adolescents with ADHD
AUTHORS:
Paul Hammerness, Daniel Geller, Gagan Joshi, Anna Georgiopoulos, Robert Doyle, Thomas Spencer, Carter Petty, Laura Mahoney, Joseph Biederman
KEYWORDS:
Methylphenidate, Puberty, Development, Adolescents, ADHD
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Psychiatry,
Vol.4 No.2,
April
28,
2014
ABSTRACT: The objective of this
study was to examine whether stimulants impact pubertal development in
adolescent Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), an understudied
subject. Pubertal staging data were collected during a 2-year open study of
extended release methylphenidate in adolescents (N = 111)
with ADHD. Tanner stages were compared to national estimates. The sample was
primarily male, Caucasian, and a mean age of 14.8 years at baseline. The
baseline Tanner stage for 70% of subjects was consistent with chronological
age. For the majority of subjects who reached 12 - 20
months (N = 25) or 24 months (N = 21)
endpoints, the Tanner stage at respective endpoints was consistent with age. We
found that progression in Tanner
stage was not associated with OROS MPH duration or dose (p > 0.10).
Long-term treatment with extended release methylphenidate did not appear to
adversely impact pubertal development in this sample of adolescents with ADHD.