Students With ADHD Show Little Improvement In Test Scores With Long-Acting Stimulants

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) had similar test scores on science, social studies, and vocabulary whether they were taking a sustained release stimulant medication (Concerta) for ADHD or a placebo. Those taking the medication completed 37% more arithmetic problems per minute and they committed 53% fewer classroom rule violations than those taking a placebo (1.9 compared to 3.9 violations). However, their scores on science and social studies tests were only 1.7 percentage points higher than scores for those taking a placebo.

These findings were presented in “The effect of stimulant medication on the learning of . . .