The incremental effects of stimulant medication and the prediction of medication response were examined in a sample of 59 ADHD children enrolled in a behavioral summer day treatment program. Measures of positive and negative social behavior were derived from a behavioral point system and observations of peer interaction. Cognitive measures were derived directly from the classroom and a laboratory task of learning was also administered. Initial assessment measures such as psychological tests and teacher and parent ratings of behavior, as well as demographic and familial measures were used to predict medication response. Medication response was defined globally as well as in discrete behavioral domains. MANOVA results revealed a positive effect of.3 mg/kg methylphenidate on most measures of social and cognitive behavior. Consistent with previous research, medication effects on negative social behavior and academic performance were demonstrated. In this study, positive medication effects were also found on prosocial behavior. The most consistent predictors of medication response, regardless of how response was defined, were teacher ratings of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Discriminant analyses and multiple regressions revealed that higher teacher ratings of externalizing symptoms were associated with a good response to medication, whereas higher teacher ratings of internalizing symptoms were associated with a poorer response to medication. Other variables that predicted medication response such as age, and teacher ratings of impulsivity and hyperactivity are also discussed. Children were also clustered according to their medication response profile to determine if different response profiles were associated with different child characteristics. Age, parent ratings of internalizing symptoms, and teacher ratings of impulsivity discriminated between / the clusters of children with different response profiles. Although several statistically significant predictors of medication response were identified, they accounted for no more than one third of the variance regardless of how medication response was defined. These findings are consistent with prior research. It remains that the best way to determine medication response is to administer a controlled clinical trial of stimulant medication. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-02, Section: B, page: 0987. / Major Professor: William E. Pelham. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_78186 |
| Contributors | Hoza, JoAnn., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 165 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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