Dextroamphetamine and Methylphenidate in the Treatment of Hyperactive/Aggressive Children

This study reports on the comparative effectiveness of dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate for the treatment of severe behavior disorders among children hospitalized for neuropsychiatric conditions. Findings indicate that both drugs attenuate hyperactive and aggressive behaviors and that children who respond to one may he expected to respond to the other. Side effects were generally equally distributed between both medications and were of modest degree. One case each of methylphenidate-induced dyskinesia and of dextroamphetamine-induced toxic psychosis is reported. The clinical implications of our findings are discussed, and directions are suggested for future research on some of the observed clinical problems.