CARE-ADHD Combined Approach to Response Evaluation in ADHD v.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
THE FIRST TEST DOSE TO PREDICT LONGER-TERM TREATMENT RESPONSE IN ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD). Can we identify children and adults who may benefit from methylphenidate (MPH), the most common medication for ADHD, from their initial response to a single test dose rather than after several weeks of daily treatment?
IRAS ID
344657
Contact name
Valeria Parlatini
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Southampton
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 2 months, 31 days
Research summary
Aim: I want to help clinicians and people with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) figure out who will feel better when taking methylphenidate (MPH), the most common medicine for ADHD.
Background: ADHD makes it hard for people to pay attention and control impulses. In the UK, almost two million children and adults have ADHD. More and more people are asking for ADHD medication, so they often wait years to start treatment. Once they start, it can take months to find the right medication for them. MPH is usually given first and patients need to take it every day for several weeks before a clinician can tell if it is right for them. If MPH does not work, clinicians will try other medicines, one by one. This approach is expensive and delays getting the right treatment. I want to understand if MPH is the right medicine for a person with ADHD, or if they need another one, faster.
Methods: I will recruit 126 children and adults with ADHD, mainly from those awaiting treatment in NHS clinics. I will detect changes in their symptoms, cognitive skills, and pulse after taking a tablet of MPH, and test if this initial reaction predicts if they get better after two months of standard treatment. I will follow them up for 6 months to see if their initial reaction helps understand how well they do in the long run. I will work with computer experts to find different ways to predict who will benefit from MPH. I will ask patients, families and doctors for feedback to choose the best methods.
Impact: This research could help people know if MPH works for them after just one tablet, instead of after taking it for several weeks. This could reduce negative outcomes, side effects, waiting times, and NHS costs.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/SC/0160
Date of REC Opinion
5 Jun 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion