Anne Fleur Kortekaas-Rijlaarsdam

CHAPTER 2 26 ABS T RAC T Background Academic improvement is amongst the most common treatment targets when prescribing stimulants to children with ADHD. Previous reviews on stimulant-related academic improvements are inconclusive and focus on task-engagement. Recent literature suggests outcome-domain specific medication effects that are larger for productivity than for accuracy. Aims Quantifying methylphenidate effects on academic productivity and accuracy for math, reading, spelling; exploring the mediating or moderating effects of symptom- improvements; demographic-, design- and disorder-related variables. Method PubMed, EMBASE, ERIC and PsycINFO were searched for articles reporting methylphenidate effects on academic productivity and accuracy. Results Thirty-four studies met entry criteria. Methylphenidate improved math productivity (7.8% increase, p <.001); math accuracy (3.0% increase, p =.001); increased reading speed (SMD .47, p <.001) but not reading accuracy. None of the mediators or moderators tested affected methylphenidate efficacy. Conclusions Academic improvements were small compared to symptom-improvements; qualitative changes limited to math. Clinicians should take this discrepancy into account when prescribing medication for ADHD. Keywords: ADHD, Methylphenidate, Academic, Math, Reading, Meta-analysis