Conditions: Attention Deficit Disorder With Hyperactivity
Keywords: Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity Guanfacine Event Related Potentials
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 42
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
All subjects with the study will be children (age 6-12) with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). After baseline assessment confirms the presence of ADHD, children will have an Event related potential (ERP) (a type of electroencephalogram \[EEG\]) study. After the baseline EEG, children will be randomized to either placebo or GXR for a 4-week, parallel groups trial. During this trial, dosing will be flexibly adjusted according to patient response or presence of side effects. The dosage will range from 1-4 mg. At the end of the four week trial, a follow up ERP study will be obtained.

Detailed description:
All subjects with the study will be children (age 6-12) with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). After baseline assessment confirms the presence of ADHD, children will have an Event related potential (ERP) (a type of electroencephalogram \[EEG\]) study. After the baseline EEG, children will be randomized to either placebo or GXR for a 4-week, parallel groups trial. During this trial, dosing will be flexibly adjusted according to patient response or presence of side effects. The dosage will range from 1-4 mg. At the end of the four week trial, a follow up ERP study will be obtained. Our hypotheses are: A) GXR will be superior to placebo at reducing symptoms of ADHD as measured by standardized clinical diagnostic tools by week 3 of treatment. B) Compared to placebo and pretreatment measures, GXR at week 4 of treatment will increase the amplitude of the right frontal N200 and frontal-central P300, and such changes will correlate with clinical response.

Arms:
arm 1: Patients will be started on 1 mg of guanfacine extended release matching placebo tablets at week 1. A physician blind to drug status will titrate the study medication in week 2-3 to a maximum of 4 mg (4 tablets). arm 2: Patients will be started on 1 mg of guanfacine extended release at week 1. A physician blind to drug status will titrate the study medication in week 2-3 to a maximum of 4 mg (4 tablets).

Interventions: intervention 1: Guanfacine Extended Release intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Guanfacine is an alpha-2A agonist which is given one a day. the dose range is 1-4 mg. It is a tablet. intervention 2: Table that match the 1 mg Guanfacine Extended Release Tablet. They are dosed once a day.

Protocol document: