ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Minerva Psichiatrica 2018 September;59(3):144-52

DOI: 10.23736/S0391-1772.18.01963-5

Copyright © 2018 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Studying the effect of combination therapy by pramipexole and methylphenidate in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, in comparison with the placebo and methylphenidate

Forough RIAHI ¹, Ashraf TASHAKORI ¹, Samar S. MARASHI ² ✉

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran; ² Student Research Committee, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

BACKGROUND: In this article we studied the effect of combination therapy of pramipexole and methylphenidate in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) children regarding the mechanism of the effect of pramipexole and considering the mentioned problems and inadequacies in the present and current ADHD therapies.
METHODS: In a double blind randomized clinical trial study 30 children who suffered from ADHD have been selected among the patients referred to the psychiatric clinic of Ahvaz Golestan Hospital. The patients were randomly assigned in the case study group (methylphenidate and pramipexole) and or control group (placebo and methylphenidate), participants were examined before the start of treatment, and after two, four, and six weeks from the start of the treatment by the parent’s Conners questionnaire.
RESULTS: The patients’ mean age was 8.47±2.08. In the control group, in the second week, the final score of patients significantly decreased compared to week 0. That finding was significant for the fourth and sixth weeks as well as the previous week. In the case group, in the 2nd, 4th, and 6th weeks, the final score of the patients was significantly lower than the previous week. Comparison of the two groups showed that there was no significant difference between the scores of the two groups in the second and fourth weeks of the study (P>0.05). However, in the sixth week, the final score, and the total score, in the case group, were significantly lower than the control group (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Premipexylum and methylphenidate is probably more effective than methylphenidate alone in treating the ADHD disorder.

KEY WORDS: Attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity - Pramipexole - Methylphenidate - Surveys and questionnaires