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MTA Findings Fail to Consider Methodological Issues
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| Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings. |
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Comparative treatment studies in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) are critical not only to clinical knowledge, but also to the
controversy about medication. Therefore, the Multimodal Treatment Study of
Children With ADHD (MTA)1, 2
represents a major contribution. During 14 months, children with ADHD symptoms
improved as much when using medication alone as when using medication combined
with an ambitious psychosocial treatment, and both were superior to psychosocial
treatment alone, which was indistinguishable from treatment in the community.
If informants deliver treatment, as is the case here for psychosocial
treatment, objective assessments must be obtained about patients' status to
avoid bias owing to cognitive dissonance. The MTA included an objective assessment
(classroom observations), which, in treatment studies of ADHD,3
have distinguished methylphenidate from other treatments. The tables1 indicate their values, but they are not mentioned
in the "Results" or "Comments" sections of the article. That this previously
validated objective measure failed . . . [Full Text of this Article]
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