Adderall XR and Processing Speed in Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2015-02-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Cognitive impairment, or problems with thinking and memory, is common in multiple sclerosis
(MS) and can occur independently of physical disability. It is the most common reason, along
with physical fatigue, for MS patients to stop working. The most frequent complaint is
problems with multi-tasking or thinking quickly, which corresponds to impairment in the
cognitive domain of processing speed. Currently there is treatment available to prevent
relapses and physical disability but there are no medications that have been shown to treat
cognitive impairment. Amphetamines have been beneficial for selective attention and
processing speed in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and traumatic brain
injury. This is study will determine whether Adderall XR improves objective measures of
processing speed and attention in MS patients impaired in this cognitive domain, by comparing
two doses of Adderall XR (5 and 10mg) to placebo before and after the medication is
administered. The results of this study will help provide data to design a larger study to
determine if Adderall XR, and potentially other amphetamine drugs, will help treat cognitive
impairment in MS patients.