RECOVERY IN PEDIATRIC BRAIN INJURY - IS PSYCHOSTIMULANT MEDICATION BENEFICIAL

Objective: To assess the effects of methylphenidate on attention, memo ry, behavior, processing speed, and psychomotor skills of children wit h closed head injuries. Design: Double-blind, placebo-controlled, cros sover design. Setting: An outpatient facility of a children's hospital medical center. Patients: Ten pediatric subjects identified through c hart review. Subjects met baseline scores for hyperactivity (Conner's Hyperactivity Index greater than or equal to 60) and intellectual func tioning (Verbal Intelligence Quotient greater than or equal to 70) and achieved minimal scores on two psychometric tests. Ail subjects evide nced head injury by focal lesions on computed tomography scan and/or s equelae reported at the time of injury. Severity of injury ranged from mild to severe. All subjects were medically stable at the time of tes ting. Mean time post injury was 2 years, 8 months. Intervention: Admin istration of methylphenidate and placebo. Main Outcome Measures: Perce ntage change in scores was calculated to assess differences between ba seline and end of methylphenidate/placebo trials. Results: No signific ant differences between methylphenidate and placebo on measures assess ing behavior, attention, memory, and processing speed. Conclusions: Th e results of the study call into question the effectiveness of methylp henidate in the pediatric head injury population.