Influence of methylphenidate on spatial attention asymmetry in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): preliminary findings

Timothy J Silk; Daniel P Newman; Ranmalee Eramudugolla; Alasdair Vance; Mark A Bellgrove

doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.01.015

Influence of methylphenidate on spatial attention asymmetry in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): preliminary findings

Neuropsychologia. 2014 Apr:56:178-83. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.01.015. Epub 2014 Jan 31.

Authors

Timothy J Silk¹, Daniel P Newman², Ranmalee Eramudugolla³, Alasdair Vance⁴, Mark A Bellgrove⁵

Affiliations

¹ Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children׳s Hospital, Melbourne 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3052, Australia.
² School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne 3800, Australia.
³ Centre for Research on Ageing, Health & Wellbeing, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia.
⁴ Academic Child Psychiatry Unit, Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Royal Children׳s Hospital, Melbourne 3052, Australia.
⁵ School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne 3800, Australia. Electronic address: mark.bellgrove@monash.edu.

PMID: 24486422
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.01.015

Abstract

Atypical asymmetries of spatial attention have been reported in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and may be exacerbated by non-spatial factors such as attentional capacity. Although preliminary evidence suggests that asymmetries of attention in ADHD may be modifiable by the psychostimulant, methylphenidate, further placebo-controlled studies are required. This study first aimed to confirm recent evidence that increasing non-spatial processing load at fixation can unmask a spatial gradient of target detection in children with ADHD but not Controls. Second, we used placebo-controlled randomised trial methodology to ask whether 20mg of methylphenidate (MPH) could remediate any load-dependent asymmetry of spatial attention in adolescents with ADHD. Twelve male adolescents with ADHD were assessed twice in a double-blind, randomized design, under either placebo or an acute dose of methylphenidate. Thirteen typically developing adolescent Controls completed a single session under placebo. Participants completed a computer-based task in which they monitored a centrally presented rapid serial visual presentation stream for a probe stimulus, while also responding to brief peripheral events. The attentional load of the central task was manipulated by varying the target instructions but not the physical stimuli or the frequency of targets. Between-group analyses under placebo conditions indicated that increased attentional load induced a spatial gradient for target detection in the ADHD but not Controls, such that load slowed response times for left, but not, right hemi-field targets. This load-dependent spatial asymmetry in the adolescents with ADHD was abolished by administration of methylphenidate. Methylphenidate may "normalise" target detection between the hemi-fields in ADHD via enhancement of the right-lateralised ventral attention networks that support non-spatial attention.

Keywords: ADHD; Asymmetry; Attention; Load; Methylphenidate; Neglect.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Analysis of Variance
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / drug therapy*
Central Nervous System Stimulants / therapeutic use*
Child
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Double-Blind Method
Functional Laterality / drug effects*
Humans
Male
Methylphenidate / therapeutic use*
Neuropsychological Tests
Reaction Time / drug effects
Space Perception / drug effects*

Substances

Central Nervous System Stimulants
Methylphenidate