Abstract Details

Title The Effects of Methylphenidate on Creativity in Individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Topic Aging, Dementia, and Behavioral Neurology

Presentation(s) P14 - Poster Session 14 (8:00 AM-9:00 AM)

Poster/Presentation
Number 10-008

Objective

This study examined the effects of Methylphenidate on verbal creativity, verbal fluency, and problem-solving in individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Background

Methylphenidate (MPH), a medication used for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), increases the chemicals in the brain that play essential roles in attention - dopamine and norepinephrine. (National Institute of Mental Health) The role of adrenergic drugs has implications on cognitive flexibility and functioning. However, there are anecdotal reports that patients with ADHD feel their creativity is stifled by medications, and the literature is mixed when this is addressed in the research setting.

Design/Methods 17 adults diagnosed with ADHD volunteered to participate in a within-subject design. Each participant was instructed to complete a series of verbal creativity tests in a counter balanced fashion, once after their normal MPH dose, and once while after withholding their medication. These tasks included anagrams, compound remote associates, letter and semantic fluency and the Verbal Torrance Test for Creative Thinking (VTTCT). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare on and off drug performance between drug conditions for each of the tasks.

Results There was a significant increase in the MPH session for the number of words generated on the semantic fluency task, t(16)=3.27, (p<0.05). The solution latency for correct anagrams was significantly greater for the MPH session, t(15)=2.63, (p<0.05).

Conclusions It appears that MPH does not impair creativity in ADHD patients, and overall, increases semantic fluency. Further exploration is needed with an expanded sample size to confirm the opposing effects of MPH on fluency and problem solving.

Authors/Disclosures
Alinna J. Sam PRESENTER	No disclosure on file
David Q. Beversdorf, MD, F�鶹��ýӳ�� (University of Missouri)	Dr. Beversdorf has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Yamo pharmaceuticals. Dr. Beversdorf has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as an officer or member of the Board of Directors for Autism Research Institute. Dr. Beversdorf has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving as an Editor, Associate Editor, or Editorial Advisory Board Member for Elsevier (Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders). The institution of Dr. Beversdorf has received research support from Autism Research Institute. Dr. Beversdorf has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving as a Case Consultant with Best Doctors.
	No disclosure on file

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