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Cited by 125Attention Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderPharmaceutical studies and practicesPharmacology and Obesity Treatment

Does Prolonged Therapy With a Long-Acting Stimulant Suppress Growth in Children With ADHD?

SPENCER, THOMAS J., FARAONE, STEPHEN V., BIEDERMAN, JOSEPH, LERNER, MARC, COOPER, KIMBERLY M., ZIMMERMAN, BRENDA·2006·Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
DOI 10.1097/01.chi.0000205710.01690.d4
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Abstract

Objective To investigate whether prolonged therapy with a long-acting stimulant affects growth in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).Method One hundred seventy-eight children ages 6 to 13 years received OROS methylphenidate (OROS MPH, CONCERTA) for at least 21 months. Height and weight were measured monthly during the first year and every 3 months thereafter.Results At baseline, subjects were approximately the expected height for their age and somewhat heavier than expected. Subjects gained height steadily throughout the study and were on average 0.23 cm less than expected at month 21. Weight did not increase and BMI decreased slightly in the first 4 months. Thereafter, weight Z score and BMI Z score remained relatively constant and children were on average 1.23 kg less than expected at month 21. Previous stimulant therapy tended to be associated with a smaller decrease in Z score during the study compared with no previous stimulant therapy. Drug holidays did not significantly affect growth.Conclusions The effects of prolonged OROS MPH therapy on growth were clinically insignificant and limited to slight decreases in weight during the first months of therapy. Drug holidays did not reduce any impact on growth and are thus of questionable utility for limiting potential effects of treatment on growth.

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Crossref · 10.1097/01.chi.0000205710.01690.d4

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  • Significant effects on weight and height may require average doses of methylphenidate exceeding 1.5 mg/kg per day which are given continuously.

    “Significant effects on weight and height may require average doses of methylphenidate exceeding 1.5 mg/kg per day which are given continuously [28, 132].”

    From European guidelines on managing adverse effects of medication for ADHD (2011) · cites this paper as [132]

  • In two recent studies where drug holidays were allowed but not systematically varied, stimulant-related reductions in growth rates were not documented.

    “In two recent studies (Pliszka et al., 2006;Spencer et al., 2006) in which drug holidays were allowed but were not systematically varied, stimulantrelated reductions in growth rates were not documented.”

    From Effects of Stimulant Medication on Growth Rates Across 3 Years in the MTA Follow-up (2007) · cites this paper as Spencer et al., 2006

  • Two other recent chart-review studies (Pliszka et al., 2006; Spencer et al., 2006) found no evidence that clinical treatment with stimulant medications reduced growth rates of children with ADHD.

    “In two other recent chart-review studies, no evidence was found to support the hypothesis that clinical treatment with stimulant medications reduced the growth rates of children with ADHD (Pliszka et al., 2006;Spencer et al., 2006).”

    From Effects of Stimulant Medication on Growth Rates Across 3 Years in the MTA Follow-up (2007) · cites this paper as Spencer et al., 2006

  • The finding of a reduction in growth rate in height that extends up to 3 years is not consistent with two other retrospective reviews (Pliszka et al., 2006; Spencer et al., 2006).

    “but not with two others (Pliszka et al., 2006;Spencer et al., 2006)”

    From Effects of Stimulant Medication on Growth Rates Across 3 Years in the MTA Follow-up (2007) · cites this paper as Spencer et al., 2006

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Authors
SPENCER, T. J., FARAONE, S. V., BIEDERMAN, J., LERNER, M., COOPER, K. M., & ZIMMERMAN, B.
Affiliations
SUNY Upstate Medical University (US)
Corresponding author
SPENCER, THOMAS J.
ORCID
Venue
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2006-05
Volume
45
Issue
5
Pages
527-537
ISSN
0890-8567 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1097/01.chi.0000205710.01690.d4
OpenAlex
W2077454035
Cited by
125
References
41
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 6
FWCI
9.54
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Pharmaceutical studies and practices
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Pharmacology and Obesity Treatment
Keywords
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, long-acting stimulants, OROS methylphenidate, growth inhibition, height, weight, body mass index, drug holidays, children
MeSH terms
Central Nervous System Stimulants, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Body Height, Body Weight, Child, Clinical Trials as Topic, Delayed-Action Preparations, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Long-Term Care, Male, Methylphenidate, Body Mass Index

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