Author(s)

Paul Hammerness, Daniel Geller, Gagan Joshi, Anna Georgiopoulos, Robert Doyle, Thomas Spencer, Carter Petty, Laura Mahoney, Joseph Biederman

Clinical and Research Program in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA.

The objective of this study was to examine whether stimulants impact pubertal development in adolescent Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), an understudied subject. Pubertal staging data were collected during a 2-year open study of extended release methylphenidate in adolescents (N = 111) with ADHD. Tanner stages were compared to national estimates. The sample was primarily male, Caucasian, and a mean age of 14.8 years at baseline. The baseline Tanner stage for 70% of subjects was consistent with chronological age. For the majority of subjects who reached 12 - 20 months (N = 25) or 24 months (N = 21) endpoints, the Tanner stage at respective endpoints was consistent with age. We found that progression in Tanner stage was not associated with OROS MPH duration or dose (p > 0.10). Long-term treatment with extended release methylphenidate did not appear to adversely impact pubertal development in this sample of adolescents with ADHD.

Methylphenidate, Puberty, Development, Adolescents, ADHD

Hammerness, P. , Geller, D. , Joshi, G. , Georgiopoulos, A. , Doyle, R. , Spencer, T. , Petty, C. , Mahoney, L. and Biederman, J. (2014) Impact of Long-Term Treatment with OROS Methylphenidate on Pubertal Development in Adolescents with ADHD. Open Journal of Psychiatry, 4, 147-152. doi: 10.4236/ojpsych.2014.42019.