Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Studies with at least 2 weeks' follow-up were eligible for inclusion; the inclusion criteria were not defined otherwise in terms of study design. The included studies were parallel-group or crossover randomised controlled trials (RCTs).
Specific interventions included in the review
Studies that compared Adderall with placebo were eligible for inclusion. Where the drug dosage used in the included studies was reported, doses of Adderall were 12.5 mg, 0.13 to 0.3 mg/kg twice daily, and up to 30 mg twice daily (1 study of adults). The drug regimens consisted of fixed doses and a titrated dose to optimise the effect. The duration of treatment, where stated, ranged from 3 to 7 weeks. In some studies treatment was allocated on a daily basis.
Participants included in the review
The inclusion criteria were not explicitly defined in terms of the participants. Studies of children, adolescents and adults with ADHD were included.
Outcomes assessed in the review
Studies in which the outcomes were assessed using structured measures for ADHD symptoms, aggressive or defiant symptoms, or global rating of behaviour were eligible for inclusion if the outcome assessors were blinded to the treatment group and if the outcomes scores were presented as means with standard deviations. In the included studies, parents, teachers and psychiatrists assessed the outcomes using the following measures: Iowa Conner's Teachers Rating System; Connor's Global Index; Clinical Global Impression Improvement Scale; ADHD Rating Scale; global improvement assessed using a 10-point scale; ADD-H Comprehensive Teacher's Rating Scale; rating of ADHD symptoms; motor activity; and performance on simple maths problems.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors did not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many reviewers performed the selection.