This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.

Methylphenidate has been used widely in hyperactive children since the 1970s. Its use has become commonplace in the UK over the last few years and is rising rapidly. The authors evaluate its effectiveness in the treatment of children with hyperkinetic disorder.

As evidence from good and medium quality RCTs shows benefits of methylphenidate over weeks and months respectively, and methylphenidate is of reasonable cost-effectiveness when considering the short term benefits alone, the authors strongly support its short term use, as well as offering qualified support for its long term use, in the absence of clear evidence.