To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: DG DISPATCH - AACAP: Ritalin Has No Effect On Reading Disorders URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/13E796.htm Doctor's Guide October 26, 1999
By Lara Pullen Special to DG News
CHICAGO, IL -- October 26, 1999 -- Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) and reading disorder (RD) each affect approximately 6-9 percent of school-aged children and frequently affect the same children. A recent study indicates that Ritalin (methylphenidate; MPH), while effective in the treatment of AD/HD, has no effect on the short-term memory and phonological processing required for reading.
At the 46th annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Dr. Rosemary Tannock, of the Hospital for Sick Children, in Toronto, presented the results of a study designed to examine the effect of stimulant medication on children with the co-morbid condition, AD/HD + RD.
Dr. Tannock's study addressed the effects of MPH on three aspects of cognitive function: response inhibition, working memory and phonological processing. The study consisted of 52 children (aged 7 to 11 years) with a confirmed diagnosis of AD/HD; approximately 25 percent had co-morbid RD.
There was no evidence of a differential effect of MPH (3 doses/day of 10-20 mg) on the two AD/HD groups (AD/HD only and AD/HD+RD) for any of the cognitive measures. MPH had no impact on short term memory or phonological processing, indicating the clinical importance of multimodal treatment for children with AD/HD+RD. Specifically, reading remediation is probably required for these children to address the phonological processing deficits that occur with the co-morbid condition ADHD+RD.
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