Effects Of Ritalin Research Articles

Effects of a Computer-Based Intervention on Sustained Attention, Divided Attention, and Impulsivity in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that causes poor academic performance. If left untreated, it can lead to different comorbidities such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Objectives: This study compared the effects of a computer-based intervention (Captain's Log MindPower Builder) combined with Ritalin to those of Ritalin alone on sustained attention, divided attention, and impulsivity in children with ADHD. Methods: The statistical population included all boys and girls with ADHD aged 7 - 12 years who visited Baqiyatallah Hospital of Tehran in 2021 (N = 103). Purposive sampling was employed to select 30 eligible children as the research sample. They were then randomly assigned to an intervention group (Captain's Log MindPower Builder + Ritalin) and a waitlist control group (Ritalin alone). The computer-based intervention was performed in twelve 60-minute sessions. The data were collected by conducting the Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was then utilized to analyze the research data. SPSS software v26 was used for data analysis. Results: The mean ± SD of sustained attention, divided attention and impulsivity were 78.26 ± 6.90, 80.20 ± 6.01, and 73.70 ± 8.91on the pretest in the intervention group; moreover, it was 88.87 ± 7.19, 90.94 ± 5.45, and 82.41 ± 8.46 on the pretest in the control group. According to the results, the computer-based intervention had significant effects on both sustained attention and divided attention; however, it failed to significantly improve impulsivity (P < 0.001). Additionally, the intervention effects during the 45-day follow-up period only showed stability for sustained attention (P < 0.001). In fact, its effects on divided attention and impulsivity control were not significant. Conclusions: The computer-based intervention enhanced Ritalin's effects in some ways and improved sustained attention. Therefore, education centers for children with ADHD are recommended to adopt this method in order to improve attention in such children. Nevertheless, further studies are needed in this field to gain a better insight into the effectiveness of Captain's Log MindPower Builder.

Chronic Ritalin administration during adulthood increases serotonin pool in rat medial frontal cortex

Background: Ritalin is a type II medication with a high tendency to be abused. It has been the main indication to control ADHD and/or treatment of major depression. As the college students may seek for it to improve memory, decrease the need for sleep and improvement the sense of well being (especially during exams), which all at least partially, related to serotonergic system activity, it seems worthy to evaluate the effect of Ritalin intake on a mature, brain. Although there are many studies about the effects of Ritalin on developing brain, only few studies on adults are available.

Chronic Ritalin administration during adulthood increases serotonin pool in rat medial frontal cortex.

Ritalin has high tendency to be abused. It has been the main indication to control attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The college students may seek for it to improve their memory, decrease the need for sleep (especially during exams), which at least partially, can be related to serotonergic system. Therefore, it seems worthy to evaluate the effect of Ritalin intake on mature brain. There are many studies on Ritalin effect on developing brain, but only few studies on adults are available. This study was undertaken to find Ritalin effect on serotonin transporter (SERT) density in medial frontal cortex (MFC) of mature rat. Thirty male Wistar rats were used in the study. Rats were assigned into five groups (n = 6 per group): one control, two Ritalin and two vehicle groups. Twelve rats received Ritalin (20 mg/kg/twice a day) orally for eleven continuous days. After one week of withdrawal and another two weeks of rest, in order to evaluate short-term effects of Ritalin, six rats were sacrificed. Another six rats were studied to detect the long-term effects of Ritalin; therefore, they were sacrificed 12 weeks after the previous group. The immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate the results. Immunohistochemistry studies showed a higher density of SERT in both 2 and 12 weeks after withdrawal from Ritalin intake in MFC of rat and there was no significant difference between these two groups. Our findings demonstrated both short- and long-term effects of Ritalin on frontal serotonergic system after withdrawal period.

Prefrontal cortex glutamate afferents are essential for acute and chronic effects of Ritalin

Background Progressive augmentation of behavioral response following repeated psychostimulant administrations is known as behavioral sensitization, and is an experimental indicator of a drug’s liability for abuse (Robinson and Berridge, 1993; Dafny and Yang, 2006). It is known that Ritalin or methylphenidate (MPD), a drug used to treat Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), induces sensitization in animals following repeated injections [1,2]. Given that many children suffer ADHD, and are treated with MPD, it is essential to know the neuronal circuitry of MPD action. It was recently reported that bilateral electric (non-specific) lesion of PFC prevented behavioral sensitization after chronic MPD administration (Lee et. al., 2008). Since the PFC sends glutamatergic afferents to both ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc), sites that are involved in induction and expression of behavioral sensitization to psychostimulants and as PFC glutamatergic afferents are known to modulate the NAc and VTA dopaminergic neurons [3,4], the objective of this study was to study the role of glutamate from PFC in behavioral sensitization to MPD.

The effects of ritalin on the both attentional set shifting and levels of neurotransmitters and their metabolites in the mPFC in rat as a model of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Objective To evaluate the enhancement effects of ritalin enhancement of attentional set shifting and motor activity by assessing ability of attentional set shifting in juvenile spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs)as an animal model of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder.Methods Sixteen male 4 week-old SHRs were randomly divided into titalin(SR)and saline(SN),control groups(WN)respectively.The number of trails were recorded as the sign of the ability of attentional set shifting.Results The number of trails to reach the criterion of six consecutive was significantly more in the SN group than those of WN group in SD,CD,CDR,IDS,EDS(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The same was observed in the SN group than in the ritalin-treated group(SR)in all stages except IDSR(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Ventral subdivisions of mPFC:(1)At the base line,SN((504.142±100.96)ng·g~(-1))group have exhibited a higher NE((354.42±125.38)ng·g~(-1),P=0.001)level,MHPG/DOPAC ratio,a lower utilization ratio(MHPG/NE=3.28±1.11,DOPAC/DA=0.93±0.31)and a lower MHPG level((1560.04±159.69)ng·g~(-1))when compared with the WN subgroup((1709.95±322.29)ng·g~(-1),P=0.000).(2)The ritalin treatment in SHRs decreased MHPG/DOPAC ratio and also increased the utilization ratio(MHPG/NE:1.95±0.37,3.28±1.11,P=0.000;DOPAC/DA:0.31±0.15,0.93±0.31,P=0.000),and MHPG,DOPAC level when compared with the SN group(P＜0.05～P＜0.01).Conclusions(1)The juvenile SHRs have the disability of attentional set shifting,ritalin has shown effect to improve the ability of attentional set shifting in SHRs.(2)Decreased utilization ratios(DOPAC/DA,MHPG/NE)were found in in the ventral subdivision of mPFC in the SHRs while a relative unbalance between hypodopaminergic and hypemoradrenergic activity was also noted.(3)Effects of ritalin has been observed in enhancement of cognitive flexibility by way of increasing the utilization ratios(DOPAC/DA,MHPG/NE)and hence the relative unbalance hypodopaminergic and hypemoradrenergic activity is improved. Key words: Attentional set shifting; Ritalin; mPFC; Neurotransmitter; Coularray detection

A comparison of teacher checklists used over 15 days and a one‐day antecedent analysis to conduct a medication trial

AbstractA one‐day antecedent analysis and an extended school‐based double‐blind medication trial were used to assess the effects of Ritalin on the disruptive behavior of a child diagnosed with ADHD. The evaluations took place in an outpatient clinic and in the child's general education classroom. The results of both evaluations indicated that the medication had a positive effect on reducing disruptive behaviors. The investigation suggests that the one‐day antecedent analysis procedure could be used as an initial evaluation of the use of Ritalin. More importantly, the one‐day trial provided results similar to the outcomes obtained during the school‐based evaluation. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 235–240, 2004.

The effects of Ritalin on the central auditory processing capabilities of children with ADHD

The effects of Ritalin on the central auditory processing capabilities of children with ADHD

Serotonin and the Therapeutic Effects of Ritalin

Serotonin and the Therapeutic Effects of Ritalin

Gene may alter ritalin's effects in ADHD

Gene may alter ritalin's effects in ADHD

Effects of Ritalin on Academic Achievement from First to Fifth Grade

This study was a continuation of the Alto and Frankenberger (1995) study that reported the effects of Ritalin on academic achievement from first to second grade. The objectives of the current study were to identify the long-term effects of Ritalin on cognitive ability and academic achievement. A retrospective/longitudinal design was utilised in the study with dependent measures being scores from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). The study included 13 experimental subjects who were identified with AD/HD and placed on Ritalin between first and second grade. For each experimental child, a contrast child without AD/HD was matched based on gender, Verbal IQ score, and family structure. Results of the study revealed that generally, the Ritalin group's cognitive and achievement scores were lower before medication and the groups tended to continue to diverge after medication was administered. Dosage levels for the children in the Ritalin group tended to be increased over time and few of the children in general education classes received supplementary educational programs.

Ritalin effects on neuropsychological performance in healthy volunteers

Ritalin effects on neuropsychological performance in healthy volunteers

Ritalin Side Effects: Placebo Controlled Evaluation

The frequency of side effects of Ritalin was examined in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over trial in 206 children aged 5 through 15 years with ADHD at the Marshfield Clinic and Research Foundation, Marshfield, WI.

Assessing environmental and medication variables in an outpatient setting: A proposed model and preliminary results with ADHD Children

We present a model for assessing the relative effects of environmental and medical treatments within an outpatient setting using brief functional analyses. We use the example of Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as a way of illustrating this assessment approach. We describe two evaluations in which we assessed the relative effects of Ritalin and various environmental variables on the on task behavior of two children referred to an outpatient diagnostic clinic. In both cases, the primary question by the parents involved the need for Ritalin to improve behavior. Assessment results for one child suggested that Ritalin as well as environmental variables improved his behavior, whereas assessment results for the second child suggested that environmental variables improved behavior regardless of medication usage. The results of these case examples illustrate the potential utility of brief functional analyses within the outpatient setting.

The Nature of Ritalin

In this issue I am pleased to introduce a new department of Intervention, called Point/Counterpoint. This department, which will appear periodically throughout the year, will present contrasting viewpoints on a particular issue. The nature of Ritalin is discussed in the following Point/Counterpoint. Robert Cooter's "Effects of Ritalin on Reading," which appeared in the May 1988 issue of Academic Therapy, described the nature of Ritalin, its use in education, and its effect on reading performance. In the present issue, Lori Bell Mick responds to Cooter's article on four specific points. Mick includes portions of Cooter's article in her response. In order for readers to distinguish between Cooter's original conclusion and Mick's disagreements, italics are used for quotations from Cooter (1988). Cooter's reaction to Mick's disagreements follow the Mick article—GW

Effects of Ritalin on Reading

A description of the nature of Ritalin, its use in education, and its effects on reading performance

An outline of hazardous side effects of Ritalin (methylphenidate).

(1986). An Outline of Hazardous Side Effects of Ritalin (Methylphenidate) International Journal of the Addictions: Vol. 21, No. 7, pp. 837-841.

Effects of Self-reinforcement and Stimulants on Academic Performance in Children With Attention Deficit Disorder

The present study investigated the effects of Ritalin and self-reinforcement, alone and in combination, on academic performance. Six male students, aged 9 to 12, diagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, served in a series of single-subject studies using a combined operant/inverted design. Following 2 weeks of baseline conditions, each boy received seven treatment phases consisting of: Ritalin (plus noncontingent reinforcers), self-reinforcement (plus a drug placebo), and Ritalin plus self-reinforcement. It was found that, whereas self-reinforcement was better than Ritalin alone, the combination of both was the most effective.

Ritalin effects in children with learning disability

321 Ritalin effects in children with learning disability DONALD F. KLEIN and RACHEL GITTELMAN-KLEIN Long Island Jewish-Hillside Medical Center, Glen Oaks, New York, U.S.A. Stimulants have been reported to ameliorate both the behavior of children with “emotional problems”, as well as their performance on various measures of intellectual functioning and learning. As a result there is a growing trend in the U.S.A. to view stimulants as useful for learning disability. However, so far all studies have been conducted with children selected because of behavior disorders. Therefore, it is not known whether stimulants are a relevant intervention among children who are poor achievers, but who have no significant psychopathology. This study tested the effects of methylphenidate on the intellectual functioning of children free of behavioral deviance, but with learning lags. Fifty children, 7-12, not hyperactive, with an I.Q. of at least 85,2 yr below their expected grade level in reading, and free of moderate to severe psychopathology, were randomly assianed to methvluhenidate or ulacebo for 12 weeks. A battery of achievement and cognitive tests was adni treatment, ripeated 4 and 12 weeks after treatment. The child was &en weekly by a psychiatrist, blind to the treatment. Results. On the Wide Range Achievement Test, both reading and arithmetic scores were significantly improved by methylphenidate after 4 weeks. Over the first month of methylphenidate treatment, the children gained 4 months in’ reading, 7 months in arithmetic, whereas the placebo treated group gained only 14 months in readine and showed no chance in arithmetic CD < 0.005). After 12 weekzof treatment the pi&e was considegably different. The methylphenidate and placebo groups were no longer significantlj different either on the reading or arithmet~cc‘scores of the WRAT. The Grav Oral Reading Test was not sensitive to drue effect at anv noint. Children’s uerformance on the Porteus Maze test showsd marked gain in favor of the &g-treated @up after 4 and 12tveeks of treatment. Comment. The above results indicate that methylphenidate does have a positive effect on cognitive function, independent of its clinical action in behavior disorders. However it may be unjustified to generalize about stimulant effects on learning from short-term studies. The current practice in American pediatric psychopharmacology of long-term treatment on the basis of short-term investigations should be reviewed by appropriate long-term studies. The validation of specific diagnostic criteria for primary affective disorder by means of a blind five year follow-up GEORGE E. MURPHY, ROBERT A. WOODRUFF and MARIJAN HERJANIC Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. One hundred fifteen patients admitted to Renard Hospital in 1962 and 1963 with depressive symptoms were interviewed systematically with a structured research protocol containing approximately 500 items of information. Each interview lasted l&4 hr. Clinical diagnoses were made on the basis of these interviews. Follow-up interviews were sought with these same patients 5 yr later, to test the validity (stability over time) of the original diagnoses. Each patient was interviewed blindly bv interviewers who had not narticipated in the original colikction of data and who had no knowledge of the patient’s index diagnosis.& Fifty-two patients met specific inclusion and exclusion criteria (no other psychiatric illness or atypical symptoms) for primary affective disorder at the initial interview and were so diagnosed. Of these, follow-up was obtained with 43 (83 per cent). Thirty-seven of the 43 patients (86 per cent) were diagnosed blindly at follow-up as having primary affective disorder. They had unequivocal primary affective disorder during the follow-up interval and no other psychiatric illness, or were well throughout the entire interval. Each of these circumstances satisfies the basic requirement for a legitimate diagnostic entity: that it remain the same or disappear, but that it not turn into something else. Six patients receiving an index diagnosis of primary affective disorder were given another diagnosis at follow-up. Four had developed interval conditions not ordinarily considered incompatible with primary affective disorder (alcoholism, organic brain syndrome,