Time Courses of Improvement in Children with ADHD Treated with Atomoxetine
Author Information
Author(s): Dickson Ruth A, Maki Ellen, Gibbins Christopher, Gutkin Stephen W, Turgay Atilla, Weiss Margaret D
Primary Institution: Eli Lilly Canada, Toronto, Canada and University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Hypothesis
What are the time courses of treatment responses or remission in children with ADHD treated with atomoxetine?
Conclusion
Children's ADHD symptoms improve gradually with atomoxetine treatment, with significant improvement seen by 1 month and remission typically not achieved until about 3 months.
Supporting Evidence
- The median time to improvement was 3.7 weeks.
- Probabilities of remission were 30% at 4 weeks and 85% at 52 weeks using the ADHDRS-IV scale.
- Remission using the CGI-ADHD-S scale was achieved at a median of 14.3 weeks.
Takeaway
Kids taking atomoxetine for ADHD start feeling better in about a month, but it takes a bit longer—around 3 months—to feel really good.
Methodology
Pooled data from three Canadian open-label studies involving children aged 6-11 years treated with atomoxetine for up to 1 year.
Potential Biases
Potential positive clinician bias due to the open-label study design.
Limitations
The study's findings may not generalize beyond Canadian children aged 6-11, and the open-label design may have introduced bias.
Participant Demographics
The sample comprised 249 boys (73.7%) and 89 girls (26.3%) with a mean age of 8.7 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.33
Statistical Significance
p = .33
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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