The Effects of Methylphenidate and Non-invasive Brain Stimulation on Inhibitory Control in Children With ADHD

Summary

The aim of this study is comparing the effects of non-pharmacological intervention (transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, tDCS) with those of drug (methylphenidate, MPH) administration in children and adolescents with ADHD. The investigators hypothesized that tDCS would improve inhibitory control and visuo-spatial working memory as well as MPH.

Timeline

Start

2021-02-08

Primary completion

2022-10-02

Completion

2022-11-02

Publications

• Results Adamo N, Hodsoll J, Asherson P, Buitelaar JK, Kuntsi J. Ex-Gaussian, Frequency and Reward Analyses Reveal Specificity of Reaction Time Fluctuations to ADHD and Not Autism Traits. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2019 Mar;47(3):557-567. doi: 10.1007/s10802-018-0457-z.
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• Results Volkow ND, Wang GJ, Fowler JS, Gatley SJ, Logan J, Ding YS, Hitzemann R, Pappas N. Dopamine transporter occupancies in the human brain induced by therapeutic doses of oral methylphenidate. Am J Psychiatry. 1998 Oct;155(10):1325-31. doi: 10.1176/ajp.155.10.1325.
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• Results Willcutt EG, Doyle AE, Nigg JT, Faraone SV, Pennington BF. Validity of the executive function theory of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a meta-analytic review. Biol Psychiatry. 2005 Jun 1;57(11):1336-46. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.02.006.
• Results Williams BR, Ponesse JS, Schachar RJ, Logan GD, Tannock R. Development of inhibitory control across the life span. Dev Psychol. 1999 Jan;35(1):205-13. doi: 10.1037//0012-1649.35.1.205.
• Results Costanzo F, Menghini D, Casula L, Amendola A, Mazzone L, Valeri G, Vicari S. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Treatment in an Adolescent with Autism and Drug-Resistant Catatonia. Brain Stimul. 2015 Nov-Dec;8(6):1233-5. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2015.08.009. Epub 2015 Aug 24. No abstract available.
• Results Costanzo F, Varuzza C, Rossi S, Sdoia S, Varvara P, Oliveri M, Koch G, Vicari S, Menghini D. Reading changes in children and adolescents with dyslexia after transcranial direct current stimulation. Neuroreport. 2016 Mar 23;27(5):295-300. doi: 10.1097/WNR.0000000000000536.
• Results Costanzo F, Varuzza C, Rossi S, Sdoia S, Varvara P, Oliveri M, Giacomo K, Vicari S, Menghini D. Evidence for reading improvement following tDCS treatment in children and adolescents with Dyslexia. Restor Neurol Neurosci. 2016;34(2):215-26. doi: 10.3233/RNN-150561.
• Results Costanzo F, Rossi S, Varuzza C, Varvara P, Vicari S, Menghini D. Long-lasting improvement following tDCS treatment combined with a training for reading in children and adolescents with dyslexia. Neuropsychologia. 2019 Jul;130:38-43. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.03.016. Epub 2018 Mar 14.
• Results Costanzo F, Menghini D, Maritato A, Castiglioni MC, Mereu A, Varuzza C, Zanna V, Vicari S. New Treatment Perspectives in Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa: The Efficacy of Non-invasive Brain-Directed Treatment. Front Behav Neurosci. 2018 Jul 20;12:133. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00133. eCollection 2018.
• Results Lazzaro G, Bertoni S, Menghini D, Costanzo F, Franceschini S, Varuzza C, Ronconi L, Battisti A, Gori S, Facoetti A, Vicari S. Beyond Reading Modulation: Temporo-Parietal tDCS Alters Visuo-Spatial Attention and Motion Perception in Dyslexia. Brain Sci. 2021 Feb 19;11(2):263. doi: 10.3390/brainsci11020263.
• Results Lazzaro G, Costanzo F, Varuzza C, Rossi S, Vicari S, Menghini D. Effects of a short, intensive, multi-session tDCS treatment in developmental dyslexia: Preliminary results of a sham-controlled randomized clinical trial. Prog Brain Res. 2021;264:191-210. doi: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2021.01.015.
• Battisti A, Lazzaro G, Ursumando L, D'Aiello B, Zanna V, Costanzo F, Vicari S, Menghini D. Examining tolerability, safety, and blinding in 1032 transcranial electrical stimulation sessions for children and adolescents with neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Sci Rep. 2025 Feb 7;15(1):4560. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-88256-1.

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