SELEGILINE IN ADULTS WITH ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER - CLINICAL EFFICACY AND SAFETY

Clinical effects of high-dose and low-dose selegiline treatment were e xamined in 24 adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AD HD). The study used a double-blind randomized three-arm parallel-group s design with a 2-week placebo baseline followed by 6 weeks of treatme nt (placebo, 20 mg/day, or 60 mg/day selegiline) and then by 2 weeks o f placebo posttreatment. A two-way repeated measures analysis of varia nce (ANOVA) showed no Drug x Time interaction and no main effect of Dr ug on severity of ADHD symptoms as self-rated by the subjects on the C onners Abbreviated Teacher Rating Scale (Conners ATRS), There was a si gnificant effect of Time, indicating decreased ADHD symptom severity s cores in all three groups, Selegiline treatment was not more effective than placebo, Side effects were more severe in the high-dose selegili ne group than in either of the other groups, These preliminary results must be interpreted with caution because of methodological limitation s in terms of sample size, patient population selection, and measureme nt tools.