Drug treatment benefited children in the amount of school work that they completed , by up to 15 % , and less consistently improved children ’s accuracy in specific types of academic assignments , such as arithmetic .
Methylpheni date , dexamfetamine and mixed amfetamine formulations all showed beneficial effects on children ’s on-task behaviour and academic work completion .
These review findings suggest that medication for ADHD has the potential to improve children ’s learning and academic achievement
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) has a significant impact on children ’s classroom behaviour , daily functioning and experience of school life .
However , the effects of drug treatment for ADHD on learning and academic achievement are not fully understood .
This review was undertaken to describe the effects of methylpheni date , dexamfetamine , mixed amfetamine salts and atomoxetine on children ’s on-task  behaviour and their academic performance , and to perform a meta- analysis to quantify these effects .
Efficacy and duration of effect of extended-release dexmethylphenidate versus placebo in schoolchildren with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess changes in symptomatology of attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) with extended-release dexmethylpheni date ( d-MPHER ) versus placebo in a laboratory classroom setting . METHODS This double-blind , placebo-controlled , crossover study r and omized 54 children 6 - 12 years of age , stabilized on methylpheni date 20 - 40 mg/day . Patients participated in a practice day , then received 5 days of treatment with d-MPH-ER 20 mg/day or placebo . After a 1-day wash-out , they returned to the classroom and received 1 dose of their assigned treatment . Evaluations occurred predose and at postdose hours 1 , 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , and 12 . Children were then crossed over to the alternate treatment , using identical protocol . Primary efficacy variable was the Swanson , Kotkin , Agler , M-Flynn , and Pelham rating scale (SKAMP)-Combined scores , and primary analysis time point was 1 hour postdose ; secondary efficacy variables over 12 hours included SKAMP-Attention and -Deportment scores and written math test results . Safety was assessed by adverse event ( AE ) recording following each period . Vital signs were recorded at each visit ; laboratory tests were conducted at screening and final visit . RESULTS D-MPH-ER 20 mg/day showed a significant advantage over placebo as early as 1 hour postdose on SKAMP-Combined scores ( p < 0.001 ) . When analyzing the entire sample of 54 children , d-MPH-ER maintained significant superiority over placebo from hours 1 through 12 ( p-values ranged from < 0.001 to 0.046 ) . D-MPH-ER was well tolerated , with no severe AEs reported . CONCLUSIONS D-MPH-ER is safe and effective and improves classroom attention , deportment , and performance in children with ADHD
Drug treatment benefited children in the amount of school work that they completed , by up to 15 % , and less consistently improved children ’s accuracy in specific types of academic assignments , such as arithmetic .
Methylpheni date , dexamfetamine and mixed amfetamine formulations all showed beneficial effects on children ’s on-task behaviour and academic work completion .
These review findings suggest that medication for ADHD has the potential to improve children ’s learning and academic achievement
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) has a significant impact on children ’s classroom behaviour , daily functioning and experience of school life .
However , the effects of drug treatment for ADHD on learning and academic achievement are not fully understood .
This review was undertaken to describe the effects of methylpheni date , dexamfetamine , mixed amfetamine salts and atomoxetine on children ’s on-task  behaviour and their academic performance , and to perform a meta- analysis to quantify these effects .