Treatment with Methylphenidate Improves Affective but Not Cognitive Empathy in Youths with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Chiara Pfanner,Valentina Levantini,Cristina Nardoni,Pietro Muratori,Federica Ricci,Annarita Milone,Pamela Fantozzi,Maria Celeste Caponi,Annalisa Tacchi,Gabriele Masi,Gianluca Sesso

doi:10.3390/children8070596

Abstract

Background: Beside the core symptoms, patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently show relevant difficulty in developing relationships with peers. Although ADHD symptoms may account for social impairment, deficits in cognitive and/or affective empathy have also been involved. Our aim was to investigate the effect of methylphenidate (MPH) treatment on affective and cognitive empathy. Methods: Sixty-one drug-naïve youths with ADHD (age range 6 to 17 years, mean 10.3 ± 2.8 years, 51 males) naturalistically treated with MPH monotherapy were followed up for 6 months for ADHD symptoms and empathy, measured with the Basic Empathy Scale. Results: After being treated with MPH, the patients showed a significant improvement in affective and cognitive empathy scores. Linear regression models showed that changes in inattention symptoms predicted changes in affective but not in cognitive empathy, while changes in the hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms did not predict changes in affective or cognitive empathy. Conclusions: Our study provides a further contribution for a better understanding of the possible effects of the MPH on youth’s characteristics.

Highlights

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with onset before 12 years of age, with a worldwide prevalence of around 7%, characterized by persistent inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity, with significant social and academic impairment [1]
Our findings suggest that a possible mechanism explaining the social impact of MPH in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) youths may be a positive influence of improved attention on affective empathy (AE)
Our findings suggest that an effective therapeutic intervention on attention in ADHD patients may be associated with an improvement of social cognition and, in particular, of AE

Summary

Introduction

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with onset before 12 years of age, with a worldwide prevalence of around 7%, characterized by persistent inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity, with significant social and academic impairment [1]. Patients with ADHD frequently show difficult relationships with peers [2]. ADHD symptoms, per se, may interfere with adequate social interactions. Patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently show relevant difficulty in developing relationships with peers. ADHD symptoms may account for social impairment, deficits in cognitive and/or affective empathy have been involved. Our aim was to investigate the effect of methylphenidate (MPH) treatment on affective and cognitive empathy. Results: After being treated with MPH, the patients showed a significant improvement in affective and cognitive empathy scores. Conclusions: Our study provides a further contribution for a better understanding of the possible effects of the MPH on youth’s characteristics

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