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Dexamphetamine and methylphenidate have been found to be equally effective in the treatment of ADHD in children, but greater weight loss was observed in children taking dexamphetamine, according to an Australian study published in the .

Led and conducted by the ������ and Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, the open-label randomised controlled trial involved 100 children diagnosed with ADHD who had not previously been treated with either drug. It is one of the few head-to-head comparisons of these medications worldwide to track children over a 12-month period using this study design.

It found that both groups experienced substantial improvements in ADHD symptoms during treatment, with no significant difference in effectiveness between the medications. Most children remained on their allocated treatment 12 months after randomised treatment was provided.

Children who were given dexamphetamine lost significantly more weight than children prescribed methylphenidate during the first three months of the 12-month treatment – an average loss of 1.4kg compared to 300 grams while taking methylphenidate. Despite the initial differences in weight loss, the study found no significant difference between medications on growth in height.

Lead author of the study, Senior Lecturer in Paediatrics and Child Health at the ������’s Nepean Clinical School and the Brain and Mind Centre, Dr , said: “Both medications worked equally well for improving ADHD symptoms, and a year later most children were still taking their original stimulant, suggesting a comparable level of satisfaction with either medication.”

“The main difference was that children taking dexamphetamine experienced greater weight loss, which is an important consideration when choosing treatment and monitoring growth.”