Anti- sleep drug can calm down little Barts
THOUGH it sounds like the last
thing a boisterous child needs,
a drug that helps people stay
awake could be a new treatment
for hyperactivity. Research
shows that Provigil can have a dramatic effect on behaviour and attention span in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
The drug, which is already available on the NHS, is currently used to treat people with a condition called narcolepsy where they find it impossible to stay awake.
The disorder can be highly dangerous because sufferers can nod off in an instant, even if they are driving or enjoying a swim.
The latest research shows a slightly different version of the so-called ‘stay awake’ pill can also lead to substantial improvements in around half of those children treated.
‘These tablets significantly improved ADHD symptoms at school and home,’ said Dr Joseph Biederman from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where the trial was carried out. ‘ The once-daily treatment was also generally well tolerated.’
ADHD is thought to affect one in 20 children in the UK, the equivalent of up to three in every classroom.
The cause of the condition remains unknown but it is thought genetic factors may play a part, although exposure to viruses and complications during pregnancy have also been touted as possible triggers.
Children are usually treated with a longestablished drug called Ritalin, which has been in use for over 40 years.
Many parents claim it has transformed their child’s behaviour and some groups, such as the Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service (ADDISS), claim thousands more children with ADHD could benefit but remain undiagnosed.
But with the NHS issuing record numbers of prescriptions for Ritalin, averaging 6,000 every week in England alone, there are some concerns that doctors are using it as a ‘ chemical cosh’ youngsters.
Although it acts as a stimulant in adults, Ritalin has a calming effect on children, helping them focus on individual tasks.
But with more and more children diagnosed, scientists are searching for new and better ways to treat the condition.
The latest study involved a drug that is a modified version of Provigil, called Sparlon.
The new pill has a lower dose than Provigil, with the active ingredients confined to the outer coating rather than the tablet itself.
The company which developed Sparlon, Pennsylvania-based Cephalon Inc, has to calm thousands of applied for approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and expects it to become available in early 2006.
Doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital tested the new medicine on almost 250 children with ADHD over nine weeks.
Two-thirds of the youngsters were given a daily dose of the ‘stay awake’ pill and the rest an identical dummy tablet. Throughout the experiment, teachers and parents kept daily records of each child’s behaviour, attention span and ability to concentrate.
The results, published in the journal Paediatrics, show much greater reductions in the ADHD scores of those taking Sparlon than those on the placebo. Most of these improvements occurred within the first week and lasted through to the end of the trial.
More studies are now planned to see how effective the new pill is compared with Ritalin.
Andrea Bilbow, from the Attention Deficit Disorder Information Service, said the ‘ stay awake’ pill had already been tested on adults with ADHD and seemed to work well.
‘ In this condition, it is the central nervous system that is not properly alert. So these drugs stimulate the part of the brain that’s not working properly,’ she said.
‘If it proves to have few side-effects, then it is obviously going to be a useful treatment.’