Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: Methylphenidate Effects on Early Recovery
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
1969-12-31
Target enrollment:
0
Participant gender:
All
Summary
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the leading cause of acquired long term disability among
children and young adults. Deficits in attention and memory are common and persist for years
after moderate or severe TBI. The similarity between these symptoms and those of children
with AD/HD, the efficacy of methylphenidate in the treatment of AD/HD, and the efficacy of
methylphenidate in improving recovery of animals with brain injuries, support the need to
study methylphenidate effects in children with TBI. This investigation of methylphenidate in
children with moderate to severe TBI aims to: (1) Assess the acute effects of 2 different
dosages of methylphenidate on attention and reaction time when the medication is administered
to children early in recovery; (2) Assess the ability of 8 weeks of methylphenidate to
improve the rate of recovery of cognitive, memory, and attentional skills in children with
TBI; (3) Identify the frequency of common methylphenidate side effects in children with TBI.