The Effects of a Single Dose of Methylphenidate on Motor Performance

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Trial end date: 2022-03-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Aim: To evaluate the effects of MPH on young adults diagnosed with ADHD on different exercise performance tests.

Hypothesis: MPH will have positive effects on motor tests requiring concentration.

Methods: 200 healthy physical education students, 100 participants diagnosed with ADHD will serve as the treatment group and 100 non-ADHD diagnosed will serve as a control group. The study will be divided into two sub studies (100 participants each), in which, two motor tests will be evaluated (two agility tests and two motor accuracy tests).

All participants will arrive for two sessions, and will perform two motor tests in each session. In the second session, half of the participants with ADHD (25 participants) will undergo another session of the same motor tests with their usual treatment (treatment group) and another half (25 participants) without their treatment (ADHD control group). The non-ADHD control group (50 participants) will perform the second session without medications - to assess a learning effect.

Note, we are not planning on giving the medication to the participant, rather he/she will consume their own prescribed MPH by them self. Control treatment for ADHD participants will consist of not taking their medication before the motor test.

For evaluation of physiological responses and perception of effort we will measure heart rate, temperature, blood pressure and RPE before and after motor tests.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Loewenstein Hospital
• Collaborators: Tel Aviv University; Wingate Institute
• Treatments: Methylphenidate

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Students age 18-45 years old studying at the academic college at Wingate. For the treatment group we will recruit students who were previously diagnosed by a neurologist or psychiatrist or other ADHD physician specialist as having ADHD, and are treated with a methylphenidate (Ritalin; Ritalin SR; Ritalin LA; Concerta) at least 3 months before the first session. Control group will consist of students without ADHD.

Exclusion Criteria:

any chronic illness other than ADHD (e.g. asthma, gastrointestinal, depression, anxiety, etc.), taking chronic medications apart from stimulant therapy.