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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2017; 75(04): 204-208
DOI: 10.1590/0004-282X20170030
Article

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: the impact of methylphenidate on working memory, inhibition capacity and mental flexibility

Transtorno do déficit de atenção/hiperatividade (TDAH): o impacto do metilfenidato na memória operacional, capacidade inibitória e flexibilidade mental
Cristiana Bolfer
1   Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Neurologia, São Paulo SP, Brasil;
,
Sandra Pasquali Pacheco
2   Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Pediatria, São Paulo SP, Brasil;
,
Miriam Harumi Tsunemi
3   Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Matemática e Estatística, São Paulo SP, Brasil;
,
Walter Souza Carreira
4   Centro Universitário de Maringá, Maringá PR, Brasil;
,
Beatriz Borba Casella
5   Universidade de São Paulo, Departamento de Pediatria, São Paulo SP, Brasil;
,
Erasmo Barbante Casella
1   Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Neurologia, São Paulo SP, Brasil;
6   Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Hospital das Clínicas, Instituto da Criança, Clínica de Deficiência de Aprendizagem, São Paulo SP, Brasil.
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ABSTRACT

Objective

To compare children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), before and after the use of methylphenidate, and a control group, using tests of working memory, inhibition capacity and mental flexibility.

Methods

Neuropsychological tests were administrated to 53 boys, 9–12 years old: the WISC-III digit span backward, and arithmetic; Stroop Color; and Trail Making Tests. The case group included 23 boys with ADHD, who were combined type, treatment-naive, and with normal intelligence without comorbidities. The control group (n = 30) were age and gender matched. After three months on methylphenidate, the ADHD children were retested. The control group was also retested after three months.

Results

Before treatment, ADHD children had lower scores than the control group on the tests (p ≤ 0.001) and after methylphenidate had fewer test errors than before (p ≤ 0.001)

Conclusion

Methylphenidate treatment improves the working memory, inhibitory control and mental flexibility of ADHD boys.

RESUMO

Objetivo

Comparar crianças com transtorno de déficit de atenção/hiperatividade (TDAH) com controles, utilizando testes de memória de trabalho, capacidade inibitória e flexibilidade mental, em meninos de 9 a 12 anos.

Métodos

Testes neuropsicológicos administrados: teste de ordem inversa dos dígitos, teste aritmético (WISC-III), Teste Stroop e Teste de Trilhas. Grupo experimental meninos (n=23), com TDAH combinado, virgens de tratamento, inteligência normal sem comorbidades. Grupo controle (n = 30) com as mesmas características do grupo experimental em termos de idade e sexo. Após três meses com metilfenidato, os grupos TDAH e controle foram novamente testadas.

Resultados

Antes do tratamento, as crianças com TDAH apresentaram menor pontuação do que o grupo controle nos testes analisados (p≤ 0.001) e o grupo com TDAH apresentou menos erros nos testes após metilfenidato (p ≤ 0.001).

Conclusão

O tratamento com metilfenidato melhora a memória de trabalho, controle inibitório e flexibilidade mental de meninos com TDAH.

attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity - working memory - methylphenidate
transtorno de déficit de atenção com hiperatividade - memória de curto prazo - metilfenidato


Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 15. August 2016

Angenommen: 22. Dezember 2016

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
05. September 2023

© 2023. Academia Brasileira de Neurologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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