Am J Psychiatry 1978; 135:1487-1491
Copyright © 1978 by American Psychiatric Association
Hyperkinetic/aggressive boys in treatment: predictors of clinical response to methylphenidate
J Loney, RJ Prinz, J Mishalow and J Joad
Data on 84 nonretarded boys aged 6--12 with the hyperkinetic/MBD syndrome
were drawn from a comprehensive, longitudinal investigation in the interest
of identifying factors that contribute significantly to variation in
clinically rated improvement during treatment with methylphenidate. The
size of the multiple correlation (R = .50) indicates that 25% of the
variation in the children's response to methylphenidate is jointly
predictable from age at referral, degree of perinatal complications, and
score on the hyperactivity factor. The authors discuss stepwise multiple
regression analysis as the method of choice in drug response prediction
studies and the possible effects on the results of such studies of
differing definitions of improvements.
