Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34477886›Full record

ArticlePsychopharmacology2021

Effects of stimulant medication on divergent and convergent thinking tasks related to creativity in adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Molly McBride, Carrina Appling, Bradley Ferguson, Alyssia Gonzalez, Andrea Schaeffer, Amanda Zand, David Wang, Alinna Sam, Eric Hart, Aneesh Tosh and 3 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Psychopharmacology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Molly McBrideSchool of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
Carrina ApplingUniversity of Missouri Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Columbia, MO, USA.
Bradley FergusonUniversity of Missouri Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Columbia, MO, USA.
Alyssia GonzalezCalifornia State University, San Marcos, CA, USA.
Andrea SchaefferSchool of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
Amanda ZandSchool of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
David WangSchool of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Alinna SamSchool of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
Eric HartDepartment of Health Psychology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
Aneesh ToshDepartment of Child Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
Ivan FontchaDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
Sophia ParmacekDepartment of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
David BeversdorfSchool of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA. beversdorfd@health.missouri.edu.
University of Missouri · USUniversity of Missouri Health System · USCalifornia State University, San Marcos · USEmory University · US

Funding

National Science Foundation 1659831
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

rationaleCommon pharmacological treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are central nervous system stimulants acting as norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors. The noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems have been shown to impact performance on tasks assessing creativity. Some previous studies suggest higher performance on creativity tasks in ADHD. Stimulant medication has been shown to differentially impact creativity in those without ADHD. However, the full range of effects of stimulant medication on creativity in those with ADHD is not known.

objectivesThis study examined the effects of stimulants on convergent and divergent tasks associated with creativity in adults with ADHD.

methodSeventeen adults diagnosed with ADHD who were prescribed stimulant medication attended two counterbalanced sessions: one after taking their prescribed stimulant dose and one after the dose was withheld. Participants completed convergent problem-solving (anagrams, Compound Remote Associates) and divergent generative (letter/semantic fluency, Torrance Test for Creative Thinking (TTCT)-Verbal) tasks.

resultsThere was a significant increase in words generated on the semantic fluency task for the stimulant session. Additionally, significant increases were found in the stimulant session for originality, flexibility, and fluency scores on the TTCT. Stimulant medication did not have an effect on any of the problem-solving tasks.

conclusionsStimulant medication enhanced verbal fluency in adults with ADHD but had no effect on convergent abilities. Furthermore, stimulants enhanced fluency, flexibility, and originality scores on the TTCT. Therefore, stimulants appear to have positive effects on divergent task performance in adults with ADHD, but not convergent tasks. This finding warrants further studies into the specific roles of norepinephrine and dopamine in this effect.

Indexed as

Attention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityCentral Nervous System StimulantsAdultCreativityHumansProblem SolvingTask Performance and AnalysisCentral Nervous System StimulantsAttention-deficit hyperactivity disorderCreativityDopamineNorepinephrineStimulant medication

Identifiers

PMID34477886
OpenAlexW3198067932

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.