Desipramine appeared more efficacious than clonidine in reducing ADHD symptoms as rated by parents ( SMD -0.90 , 95 % CI -1.40 to -0.40 , 1 trial , 68 participants , very low quality evidence ) in participants with ADHD and comorbid tics or Tourette syndrome .
Although this Cochrane Review did not identify serious adverse effects in patients taking TCAs , it did identify mild increases in diastolic blood pressure and pulse rates .
Also , patients treated with desipramine had significantly higher rates of appetite suppression compared to placebo whilst nortriptyline result ed in weight gain .
Other reported adverse effects included headache , confusion , sedation , tiredness , blurred vision , diaphoresis , dry mouth , abdominal discomfort , constipation , and urinary retention .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Most evidence on TCAs relates to desipramine .
Findings suggest that , in the short term , desipramine improves the core symptoms of ADHD , but its effect on the cardiovascular system remains an important clinical concern .
BACKGROUND Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder of childhood onset , which may persist into adulthood .
ADHD has a significant impact on a child 's daily life , affecting relationships and academic performance .
Its core symptoms include developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention , hyperactivity , and impulsive behaviour .
Tricyclic antidepressants ( TCAs ) are sometimes used as second line of treatment in the reduction of ADHD symptoms in children and adolescents with ADHD .
However , their efficacy is not yet known .
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy of TCAs in the reduction of ADHD symptoms within the broad categories of hyperactivity , impulsivity , and inattentiveness in young people aged 6 to 18 years with established diagnoses of ADHD .
The 4-year course of tic disorders in boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
BACKGROUND Despite long-st and ing clinical concerns , relatively little is known about the comorbidity between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) and tic disorders . Therefore , we examined tic disorders in an ongoing prospect i ve follow-up study of male subjects with ADHD , a sample unselected for any comorbid disorder . METHODS One hundred twenty-eight male children and adolescents with ADHD and 110 male controls were comprehensively evaluated at baseline and 4 years later . We characterized tic disorders along with a wide range of neuropsychiatric correlates , including other comorbid disorders and indices of psychosocial function in multiple domains ( school , cognitive , social , and family ) . RESULTS Compared with controls , subjects with ADHD showed more tic disorders at baseline and more new onsets were reported at follow-up . Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and tic disorders appeared to be independent in course : in contrast to low rates of ADHD remission , tic disorders mostly remitted . The age-adjusted rate of ADHD remission was 20 % and that of tic remission , 65 % . Tic disorders had little effect on the psychosocial functioning of subjects with ADHD . CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that comorbidity with a tic disorder has a limited effect on ADHD outcome . However , because of the relatively small sample of subjects with tic disorders , our conclusions should be considered preliminary until confirmed in larger studies of medicated and unmedicated children with ADHD with and without tic disorders
Desipramine appeared more efficacious than clonidine in reducing ADHD symptoms as rated by parents ( SMD -0.90 , 95 % CI -1.40 to -0.40 , 1 trial , 68 participants , very low quality evidence ) in participants with ADHD and comorbid tics or Tourette syndrome .
Although this Cochrane Review did not identify serious adverse effects in patients taking TCAs , it did identify mild increases in diastolic blood pressure and pulse rates .
Also , patients treated with desipramine had significantly higher rates of appetite suppression compared to placebo whilst nortriptyline result ed in weight gain .
Other reported adverse effects included headache , confusion , sedation , tiredness , blurred vision , diaphoresis , dry mouth , abdominal discomfort , constipation , and urinary retention .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Most evidence on TCAs relates to desipramine .
Findings suggest that , in the short term , desipramine improves the core symptoms of ADHD , but its effect on the cardiovascular system remains an important clinical concern .
BACKGROUND Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder of childhood onset , which may persist into adulthood .
ADHD has a significant impact on a child 's daily life , affecting relationships and academic performance .
Its core symptoms include developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention , hyperactivity , and impulsive behaviour .
Tricyclic antidepressants ( TCAs ) are sometimes used as second line of treatment in the reduction of ADHD symptoms in children and adolescents with ADHD .
However , their efficacy is not yet known .
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy of TCAs in the reduction of ADHD symptoms within the broad categories of hyperactivity , impulsivity , and inattentiveness in young people aged 6 to 18 years with established diagnoses of ADHD .