Stimulant medication and symptom interrelations in children, adolescents and adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Stimulant medication is effective in alleviating overall symptom severity of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), yet interindividual variability in treatment response and tolerability still exists. While network analysis has identified differences in ADHD symptom relations, the impact of stimulant medication remains unexplored. Increased understanding of this association could provide valuable insights for optimizing treatment approaches for individuals with ADHD. In this study, we compared and characterized ADHD symptom networks (including 18 ADHD symptoms) between stimulant-treated (n = 348) and untreated (n = 70) individuals with ADHD and non-ADHD controls (NACs; n = 444). Moreover, we compared symptom networks between subgroups defined by their stimulant treatment trajectory (early-and-intense use, late-and-moderate use). Stimulant-treated individuals with ADHD showed stronger associations between symptoms, compared with untreated individuals with ADHD and NACs. We found no differences in symptom networks between the stimulant treatment trajectory subgroups. Prospective longitudinal studies are needed to disentangle whether the identified differences stem from treatment or pre-existing factors.
Authors
- Hilde M. Geurts (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4824-9660)
- Jaap Oosterlaan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0218-5630)
- Anouk Schrantee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4035-4845)
- Liesbeth Reneman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5912-9971)
- Zarah van der Pal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9895-4583)
- Catharina Annette Hartman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8094-8859)
- Barbara Franke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4375-6572)
- Pieter J. Hoekstra (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1018-9954)
- Marjolein Luman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1539-2831)
- Jonas M B Haslbeck (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9096-7837)
- Tessa F. Blanken (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1731-0251)
- Daan van Rooij (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6681-4344)
- Anne Marijn Bruijn
- Nanda Lambregts-Rommelse
- Linda Douw (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7058-4062)
- Alex van Keeken
- Jan Buitelaar
Institutions
- University Medical Center Groningen (NL)
- Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
- University of Groningen (NL)
- Radboud University Medical Center (NL)
- Maastricht University (NL)
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers (NL)
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- University of Amsterdam (NL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- Published
- 2024-11-11
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-024-02610-8
- Primary Topic
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Horizon 2020