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Emotional Dysregulation in Adult Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Aided by Atomoxetine: Presented at APA

By Paula Moyer

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- May 26, 2003 -- Adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) find that their emotional dysregulation responds to atomoxetine (Straterra), according to researchers.

"Adults with ADHD often have problems with emotional dysregulation as evidenced by poor temper control, overreaction to stresses in life, and mood lability," said Frederick W. Reimherr, MD, associate clinical director of the Mood Disorders Clinic at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. "Their level of emotional dysregulation is not as intense as that found in bipolar disorder."

"In our study," he said, "these patients had a strong response to atomoxetine." He presented his findings here May 21^st at the 2003 Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association.

Dr. Reimherr and his co-investigators used 2 instruments -- the Wender Reimherr Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Scale (WRAADDS) and the Conner's Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS) -- to evaluate 500 adults with ADHD. The subjects were evaluated at baseline and following double-blind treatment with atomoxetine or placebo.

The investigators assessed the participants for emotional dysregulation symptoms as measured by 3 WRAADDS items: temper, affective lability, and emotional overreactivity. After treatment, subjects were assessed again to see whether these symptoms responded to treatment.

The investigators conducted 2 identical studies at 31 sites. The subjects met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV (DSM-IV) criteria for ADHD and had no other axis I disorders. For the purpose of the study, Dr. Reimherr and his investigative team defined emotional dysregulation as moderate or more severe symptoms in all 3 items at baseline.

Among the 500 subjects, 150 (30%) had symptoms of emotional dysregulation and showed significant improvement in comparison to their baseline on CAARS and WRAADDS after treatment with atomoxetine (P<0.001 for both). The investigators saw a significant interaction effect between emotional dysregulation and treatment when using the CAARS and WRAADDS as dependent variables (P=0.031 and P=0.007, respectively).

Dr. Reimherr said the emotional dysregulation components on the 2 instruments show treatment effects that are consistent with the total CAARS and the total WRAADDS.

"The emotional symptoms associated with ADHD showed a strong response to atomoxetine, similar in size to that seen with traditional ADHD symptoms such as inattention and distractibility," he said.

The study was funded by Eli Lilly and Company.


[Study title: Emotional Dysregulation ADHD In Response To Atomoxetine. Abstract NR640]

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