Methylphenidate Improves Aspects of Executive Function in African American Children with ADHD

Objective: The undertreatment of ethnic minority children with ADHD prompted a study on the effects of methylphenidate (MPH) on the executive functions of African American children with ADHD. Method: Nineteen African American children with ADHD are tested on the Tower of Hanoi (TOH) and the Paired Associates Learning Task (PAL) in a double-blind crossover acute challenge of MPH and placebo. Results: Under MPH, TOH rule breaks decrease, especially in the second testing session, and TOH planning time increases, particularly for incorrect solutions; PAL recall in the final learning trial improves with MPH. Conclusion: Similar to previous findings with predominantly majority samples of patients with ADHD, MPH enhances planning, precision, and persistence in African American children with ADHD. (Contains 1 table and 3 figures.)