Effectiveness and safety of methylphenidate and atomoxetine for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review

Objective: To assess and compare the effectiveness and safety of methylphenidate immediate-release tablets (IR-MPH), methylphenidate controlled-release tablets (OROS-MPH) and atomoxetine (AHC) for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Chinese children. Methods: Randomized or clinical controlled trials on the effectiveness and safety of IR-MPH, OROS-MPH and AHC for ADHD were searched in electronic databases of CNKI, VIP, CBMDISC online, PubMed, Embase and MEDLINE. Two reviewers independently extracted the data and assessed the quality of the included literatures. Results: Eight trials were finally included. IR-MPH, OROS-MPH and AHC were effective for ADHD. OROS-MPH was superior to IR-MPH in the improvement of peer relationship, CGI-I score, mother satisfaction and psychosomatic problems. There were no significant differences in the effectiveness between the AHC and IR-MPH groups. The adverse events related to the therapy with IR-MPH, OROS-MPH or AHC were mild and total incidence rates of adverse events was not significantly different among the three groups. Conclusions: The effectiveness of OROS-MPH for the treatment of ADHD is probably superior to IR-MPH, and the effectiveness of AHC and IR-MPH is similar. The three drugs have equivalent safety and good tolerance.