Withdrawing methylphenidate in relation to serum levels of ferritin and zinc in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, published as a randomized controlled trial.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of withdrawing methylphenidate after long-term treatment on serum levels of ferritin and zinc; and if baseline (pre-discontinuation) serum levels of these nutritional markers moderated the effects of withdrawing methylphenidate on ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms, and working memory.

Why It Was Studied

Blood samples were collected from 63 children and adolescents who participated in a randomized, placebo-controlled methylphenidate discontinuation study.

With mixed models for repeated measures the researchers (i) compared changes in ferritin and zinc serum levels between both groups, and (ii) investigated moderating effects of ferritin and zinc on the effects of discontinuation on ADHD and ODD symptoms, and working memory.

Who Took Part

The study group was 63 children.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were children and teenagers.

They were assigned to either seven weeks of continued treatment with methylphenidate or to gradual withdrawal to placebo.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized and placebo-controlled study.

Because people in this Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc study were split into groups at random, differences between the groups are less likely to reflect who happened to join each one.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc could be set against what happens without it.

What Was Measured

With mixed models for repeated measures the researchers (i) compared changes in ferritin and zinc serum levels between both groups, and (ii) investigated moderating effects of ferritin and zinc on the effects of discontinuation on ADHD and ODD symptoms, and working memory.

The researchers additionally explored correlations of baseline and change serum levels with respective symptom scores.

PubMed files the paper under topics including Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Central Nervous System Stimulants, Ferritins, Methylphenidate and Zinc.

The authors tagged it with the keywords ADHD, Long-term treatment and Nutritional markers.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized and placebo-controlled study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in 63 children.

The publication is from 2022 (Journal of psychiatric research), a journal based in England.

More context: the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc compound page, all human trials.