REPORTING OF MEDICATION REGIMEN IN APPLIED STUDIES OF PERSONS WITH MENTAL-RETARDATION AND ADHD

The present survey determined whether articles describing attempts to alter behavior in people with mental retardation and Attention-Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (a) reported whether or not participant s were receiving medications, (b) evaluated drugs as independent varia bles and (c) evaluated (or discussed) interactions between pharmacolog ical and nonpharmacological treatments. All behavior-change articles p ublished from 1991 through 1995 in 10 major journals were evaluated. I n contrast to the results of earlier surveys, nearly 40% of studies in volving participants with mental retardation provided information abou t medication. This change appears to represent a significant methodolo gical improvement. Nearly 60% of articles involving persons with ADHD provided information about medication. Studies of drugs were common wh en participants were people with ADHD, but not when they were people w ith mental retardation. The psychopharmacology of mental retardation c ontinues to be a small, but important, research area. Studies examinin g treatment interactions were rare, regardless of participants' charac teristics. Given that pharmacological treatments may alter participant s' sensitivity to nonpharmacological interventions, further research i n this area is sorely needed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.