Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42415397›Full record

Trial reportJournal of paediatrics and child health2026

A Randomised Open-Label Comparison of Dexamphetamine and Methylphenidate in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Symptom Response, Adherence and Weight Impact Over 12 Months.

Alison Poulton, Sharon Ng, Hoang Cuc Do, Vincent Chau, Jessica Simons, Isabella Nilsson, Yilin Zhang, Stephanie Ng, Rosa Dyson, Habib Bhurawala

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of paediatrics and child health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Alison PoultonNepean Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5867-2403
Sharon NgDepartment of Paediatrics, Nepean Hospital, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.
Hoang Cuc DoDepartment of Paediatrics, Nepean Hospital, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.
Vincent ChauRecess Psychology, Australia.
Jessica SimonsNepean Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.
Isabella NilssonNepean Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.
Yilin ZhangNepean Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.
Stephanie NgNepean Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.
Rosa DysonNepean Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.
Habib BhurawalaNepean Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Kingswood, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5114-9380

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimStimulant medications dexamphetamine and methylphenidate are well-established for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but few studies directly compare their efficacy. We aimed to compare the therapeutic and adverse effects of immediate-release formulations of dexamphetamine and methylphenidate during the initial treatment of children with ADHD.

methodsThis open-label study was conducted in public and private specialist paediatric clinics in New South Wales, Australia, between 2016 and 2020. One hundred stimulant-naïve children and adolescents with DSM-5-confirmed ADHD were randomised 1:1 to dexamphetamine or methylphenidate. ADHD diagnosis was based on detailed clinical assessment supported by parent and teacher DSM-5-based ratings. Dose titration followed a standardised 4-week weight-based protocol monitored with weekly school-based IOWA Conners ratings, after which dose adjustment or switching was made as clinically indicated. Participants were followed for 12 months.

resultsStudy participants (mean age 9.08 [SD 2.87] years; range 4.5-16.4 years; 73% male) showed significant ADHD symptom improvement on either medication at all time periods (p = 0.001), with no significant between-group difference on repeated-measures ANOVA. At 12 months, 62 participants remained on their allocated medication, with no apparent preference between methylphenidate and dexamphetamine (34/50 [68%] vs. 28/50 [56%], p = 0.15). Both medications were associated with weight loss which was greater on dexamphetamine at 3 months (-1.44 [SD 2.42] kg vs. -0.31 [SD 0.97] kg; p = 0.005).

conclusionsStimulant medications dexamphetamine and methylphenidate appear comparable in short-term symptom response and 12-month persistence after initial randomised allocation, but dexamphetamine may be associated with greater weight loss.

trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number: ACTRN12616000569404.

Indexed as

Attention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityBody WeightCentral Nervous System StimulantsDextroamphetamineMedication AdherenceMethylphenidateAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansMaleNew South WalesTreatment OutcomeCentral Nervous System StimulantsDextroamphetamineMethylphenidateADHDdexamphetaminemethylphenidaterandomised studyweight loss

Identifiers

PMID42415397
PMCPMC13617231

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.