Study Examines Driving Performance Of Teens With ADHD (NAPSA)—A medication that many teenagers with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) take to manage the disorder may positively affect their driving performance and attentiveness behind the wheel. Researchers observed that teenagers who took a single morning dose of Concerta (methylphenidate HCl) CII demonstrated significantly less variability and better driving performance, particularly in the evenings, than when they took immediate-release methylphenidate three times a day. Six teenage boys with ADHD, one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders among children, participated in the pilot study, which used a state-of-theart driving simulator to generate nearly four million data points on variables such as steering control, braking and speed control. “The findings suggest that due to its unique delivery system Concerta may lessen the risk of accidents for drivers with ADHD by offering sustained improvement in driving performance during the day and into the evening,” noted the study’s lead investigator Daniel Cox, Ph.D., professor of 5 motor vehicle accident, are more than three times as likely to be injured, and are four times more likely to be at fault for such accidents compared to young drivers without ADHD. Teens with ADHD are morelikely to have car accidents and engage in risky driving behaviors. psychiatric medicine and Director, Center for Behavioral Medicine Research at the University of Virginia Health System. The study, published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, was designed to evaluate two different delivery profiles of methylphenidate, the most commonly prescribed treatment for ADHD. Additional studies on driving and ADHDare underway. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers. Young drivers with ADHDare two to four times more likely to have a ‘ee In the study, driving performance remained stable throughout the day when participants received Concerta, but it worsened throughout the day—with a sharp decline at 8 p.m.—when they received methylphenidate three times a day. Additionally, the teenagers tended to have more high-speed collisions, less steering control, and ignored morestop signals when they took the threetimes-a-day treatment. The impact of ADHD on driving is not limited to boys. Scientific studies have also found that ADHDissignificantly associated with increased risk for traffic accidents and traffic convictions in females. The study was sponsored by McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals, U.S. marketers of Concerta. For more information about Concerta, call 1-888-4407903 or visit www.concerta.net. For more information about ADHDandteens, visit www.focus onadhd.com. Concerta, taken once a day, is an integral partofa total ADHDtreatmentprogram. Concerta uses an advanced OROSextended-release delivery system to deliver a controlled rate ofmedication throughout the day. The OROStrilayer tablet is designed to release the medication in Concerta in a smoothly delivered pattern maintaining improved attention and behavior through 12 hours, including during activities outside ofschool or work. Becauseofits unique OROSsystem, Concerta minimizes the ups and downs in blood levels experienced with stimulant medications taken several times a day. Research confirmsthat a single dose of Concertais as effective as the standard three-times-a-day dosing regimen of methylphenidate, the most commonly prescribed medication for ADHD. Concerta also eliminatesthe need for dosing in andout of school or work, since it is taken once in the morning (with or without food). This is especially important for patients who participate in academic, job-related, or social activities outside of school or work. Concerta should not be taken by patients who: have significant anxiety, tension, or agitation, since Concerta may make these conditions worse; are allergic to methylphenidate or any of the other ingredients in Concerta; have glaucoma, an eye disease; have tics or Tourette’ syndrome, or a family history of Tourette's syndrome; are taking a prescription monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOJ). Concerta should not be administered to patients with preexisting severe gastrointestinal narrowing. Concerta should not be used in children undersix years, since safety andefficacy in this age group havenot been established. Concerta should be given cautiously to patients with a history of drug dependenceor alcoholism. Chronic abusive use can lead to marked tolerance and psychological dependence. (See fill U.S. Prescribing Information for Concerta).
