Desipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant with demonstrated efficacy for some children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this controlled study, clinical improvement was noted in a group of 12 ADHD children. There also were neuropsychological effects associated with desipramine treatment: a small but significant decline in motor performance and an improvement in long-term verbal memory. The decline in motor performance may be of only limited clinical significance, but it is an effect that desipramine seems to share with other tricyclic antidepressants. The improvement in memory performance is an effect it shares with the psychostimulants.