Effects of methylphenidate on discounting of delayed rewards in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Open accessAbstract
Impulsivity is a central component of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Delay discounting, or a preference for smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed rewards, is considered an important aspect of impulsivity, and delay-related impulsivity has been emphasized in etiological models of ADHD. In this study, we examined whether stimulant medication, an effective treatment for ADHD, reduced discounting of delayed experiential and hypothetical rewards among 49 children (ages 9-12 years) with ADHD. After a practice day, participants completed a 3-day double-blind placebo-controlled acute medication assessment. Active doses were long-acting methylphenidate (Concerta), with the nearest equivalents of 0.3 and 0.6 mg/kg TID immediate-release methylphenidate. On each testing day, participants completed experiential (real-world money in real time) and hypothetical discounting tasks. Relative to placebo, methylphenidate reduced discounting of delayed experiential rewards but not hypothetical rewards. Broadly consistent with etiological models that emphasize delay-related impulsivity among children with ADHD, these findings provide initial evidence that stimulant medication reduces delay discounting among those with the disorder. The results also draw attention to task parameters that may influence the sensitivity of various delay discounting measures to medication effects.
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Methylphenidate reduced discounting rates in a real-time task but not in a hypothetical discounting task in ADHD patients.
“methylphenidate reduced discounting rates in a real-time task but not in a hypothetical discounting task in ADHD patients (Shiels et al, 2009)”
From DAT1 and COMT effects on delay discounting and trait impulsivity in male adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and healthy controls (2010) · cites this paper as Shiels et al, 2009
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- Authors
- Shiels, K., Hawk, L. W., Reynolds, B., Mazzullo, R. J., Rhodes, J. D., Pelham, W. E., Waxmonsky, J. G., & Gangloff, B. P.
- Affiliations
- University at Buffalo, State University of New York (US)
- Venue
- Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology
- Published
- 2009-10
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 291-301
- ISSN
- 1064-1297 (ISSN-L)
- 1936-2293
- PMC
- PMC2908283
- OpenAlex
- W2413634334
- Cited by
- 146
- References
- 57
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 6.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH069434)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Behavioral and Psychological Studies
- Keywords
- methylphenidate, delay discounting, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, impulsivity, stimulant medication, children
- MeSH terms
- Central Nervous System Stimulants, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Child, Choice Behavior, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Double-Blind Method, Female, Humans, Intelligence Tests, Male, Methylphenidate, Neuropsychological Tests, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Reaction Time, Reinforcement Schedule, Reward, Drug Delivery Systems, Treatment Outcome
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