Methylphenidate effects in learning disabilities. Psychometric changes
R. Gittleman-Klein and D. F. Klein
Sixty-one children of average intelligence with appreciable learning lags,
but no behaviour disorders, received placedo or methylphenidate
hydrochloride for a 12-week period. Methylphenidate was instrumental in
improving performance on many psychological tests, but did not affect
performance on standardized achievement tests. None of the patient
characteristics investigated was stringly predictive of drug effect.
Methylphenidate seems to have a specific effect on visualmotor processes,
which in turn positively affect performance tasks, but not verbal tasks.
Under the conditions of this study, methylphenidate treatment alone did not
emerge as a useful agent for the amelioration of reading performance,
although the data provide evidence for stimulation effects on children's
cognitive functions.
