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- Title
The Effect of Methylphenidate (Ritalin) on Intelligence Quotient (IQ) in Children with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
- Authors
Seyyedeh Atefeh Hosseini; Judy, Mitra; Rad, Peyman
- Abstract
Background: The Attention Deficit - Hyperactivity Disorder is described as a repetitive pattern of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention that often begins before the age of seven. Children with ADHD are reported to be 9 points lower in the IQ score than children without ADHD. Therefore, the present study has been conducted to compare the IQ scores before and after treatment with Ritalin in children with ADHD and their IQ scores with those of non-ADHD children in the city of Gorgan, in 1396. Material and Method: Based on the inclusion criteria, 41 children with ADHD and 41 non-ADHD children were included in the study. All children went through Wechsler's IQ test. After the test, children with the hyperactivity/attention deficit disorder were treated with standard Ritalin. Six weeks after the treatment, Wechsler's IQ test was repeated for the affected group. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 18. Results: In the group with the hyperactivity/attention deficit disorder, 29 individuals (70.7%) were male and 12 individuals (29.3%) were female, and in the non-affected group, 24 individuals (58.5%) were male and 17 individuals (41.5%) were female. The scores of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale were evaluated before and after treatment with Ritalin (based on the paired t-test). In general, the IQ score, the total verbal intelligence score, the total functional intelligence scores, and all sub-scales increased significantly. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale in the ADHD group was evaluated and compared with a healthy group (the independent t-test) after treatment. The total IQ score, the total verbal intelligence score, and the total functional intelligence scores, and all sub-scales increased significantly. The scores of the ADHD group were significantly lower than those of the healthy group after treatment. Conclusion: The results of the current study indicate that methylphenidate may increase the ADHD children's intelligence, and the increase was clearly seen in the total intelligence and verbal and functional IQ sub-scales, but the IQ scores of the treated group were less than those of the healthy children, before and after treatment. These findings may be crucial in treating ADHD children and suggest that drug therapy can affect many aspects of these children, including their cognitive aspects.
- Subjects
INTELLIGENCE levels; WECHSLER Adult Intelligence Scale; INTELLIGENCE tests; ATTENTION-deficit hyperactivity disorder; METHYLPHENIDATE
- Publication
Iranian Journal of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences / Progress in Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, 2018, p174
- ISSN
1735-8639
- Publication type
Article