Combination effect of Methylphenidate and Risperidone in treatment of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

Background: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common psychiatric disorder in children. Due to the high prevalence of the disorder and its psychological consequences and the lack of response to treatment in 20-30% of children to Ritalin, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of Risperidone with Ritalin in the treatment of children with ADHD. Material and Methods: In this clinical trial study, 60 children aged 6 to 12 years with ADHD were randomly divided into Ritalin+placebo and Ritalin+Risperidone. The dose of Ritalin was started at 0.5 mg/kg daily and increased to a maximum of 1 mg/kg. The dose of Risperidone was started at 0.25 mg daily and given up to a maximum of 1 mg daily. The severity of hyperactivity with attention deficit was assessed using the ADHD rating scale questionnaire at baseline and weeks 2, 3, 4 and 6 after drug administration. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS software version 26 using mixed ANOVA. Results: The results showed that the two groups had a significant improvement in terms of ADHD rating scale during 6 weeks of treatment (P0.05). Conclusion: Risperidone and Ritalin can be effective in treating children with ADHD and are well tolerated. Also, adding Risperidone to Ritalin can prevent side effects such as insomnia and anorexia and may require a lower dose of Ritalin to control symptoms.

Keywords

• hyperactivity disorder
• attention deficit
• ritalin
• risperidone