Abstract
Objective: Although stimulant medications, such as methylphenidate hydrochloride (MPH), are effective at reducing the core symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), they may also disrupt children’s sleep. This study aimed to investigate the acute impact of extended-release MPH on sleep using both actigraphy and polysomnography (PSG). Method: Participants were 26 medication-naïve newly and rigorously diagnosed children with ADHD (23 males; 3 females) with a mean age of 8 years, 8 months (SD = 24.5mos) who were enrolled in a clinically-administered crossover medication trial with 2 conditions: 2 weeks of placebo and 2 weeks of MPH treatment. The effect of condition on sleep variables as measured by actigraphy (primary outcome) and PSG (secondary outcome) was analyzed using repeated measures MANOVAs. Results: Based on actigraphy data, total sleep time was significantly reduced by 30 minutes and sleep onset latency was significantly increased by 30 minutes in the MPH condition compared to the placebo condition (p<0.001). No differences were found in sleep efficiency. No statistically significant differences were found for the same variables assessed by PSG; however, the means were in the same direction as the actigraphy data. There was a significant increase in the relative percentage of stage N3 sleep by 3.2% during MPH treatment (p<0.05). Conclusions: Increased sleep onset latency resulting in reduced total sleep time, which has been linked to poorer daytime functioning, is a potential adverse effect of stimulant medication which may require management to optimize outcome.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 33-43 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry |
Volume | 29 |
Issue number | 1 |
Publication status | Published - Mar 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors would like to acknowledge the support provided by the coordinators of the study (Angela Mailman, Rebecca Craig, Kait Sullivan, & Fiona Davidson), PSG technologist (Sharon Cooper), pharmacists (David Guinan, Wayne Little) and research assistants (Brittany Barnett, Ashley Davis, Erika Ivey, Brittany Pothier, Meredith Bessey, Jaclyn Cappell, Tasha Cullingham, Anders Dorbeck, Shaune Ford, Katie Goodine, Melissa McGonnall, Sarah Melkert, Abbey Poirier, Sunny Shaffner, Jillian Tonet, Nicolle Vincent, Jessica Waldon, & Lindsay Walker). The authors also gratefully acknowledge Valerie Corkum for helping with recruitment, Melissa Gendron for helping with drafting the manuscript, Derek van Voorst for his editing, and Drs. Shelly Weiss, Thomas Trappenberg, Andrea Kent and Noam Peleg-Soreni for their input on the study design. This project was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR; #158711).
Funding Information:
Vincent, Jessica Waldon, & Lindsay Walker). The authors also gratefully acknowledge Valerie Corkum for helping with recruitment, Melissa Gendron for helping with drafting the manuscript, Derek van Voorst for his editing, and Drs. Shelly Weiss, Thomas Trappenberg, Andrea Kent and Noam Peleg-Soreni for their input on the study design. This project was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR; #158711).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. All rights reserved.
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Psychiatry and Mental health