Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35457447›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of environmental research and public health2022

Comparing the Effect of Methylphenidate and Anodal tDCS on Inhibitory Control and Working-Memory in Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Study Protocol for a Randomized, within-Subject Trial.

Barbara D'Aiello, Andrea Battisti, Giulia Lazzaro, Pierpaolo Pani, Pietro De Rossi, Silvia Di Vara, Italo Pretelli, Floriana Costanzo, Stefano Vicari, Deny Menghini

Open access · goldAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 38% 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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Effect of amphetamines on blood pressure.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
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

10 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Barbara D'AielloChild and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1226-329X
Andrea BattistiChild and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy.
Giulia LazzaroChild and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-6044-2992
Pierpaolo PaniDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Pietro De RossiChild and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy.
Silvia Di VaraChild and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy.
Italo PretelliChild and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy.
Floriana CostanzoChild and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-0877-9691
Stefano VicariChild and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy.
Deny MenghiniChild and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-3459-2601
Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital · ITLibera Università Maria SS. Assunta · ITSapienza University of Rome · ITUniversità Cattolica del Sacro Cuore · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inappropriate levels of attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that interfere with individual functioning. The international guidelines recommend targeting ADHD-related neurochemical brain abnormalities by intervening via drug treatment, such as methylphenidate (MPH), as first choice. Drug treatments are usually associated with a huge amount of cost for families and the healthcare system, suspension for low compliance, poor long-term efficacy, and side effects. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been suggested as a possible noninvasive means to safely manipulate brain activity and, in turn, improve behavior and cognition in developmental ages. Several studies have shown that tDCS has the potential to improve ADHD-related cognitive deficits, but the effect of tDCS compared with MPH has never been evaluated. The aim of the present within-subject, sham-controlled, randomized proof-of-concept study is to demonstrate the positive effect of one-session anodal tDCS analogous to the MPH drug on inhibitory control and working memory in children and adolescents with ADHD. We strongly believe that this study protocol will serve to accelerate research into low-cost, drug-free, feasible interventions for ADHD.

Indexed as

Attention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityCentral Nervous System StimulantsMethylphenidateTranscranial Direct Current StimulationAdolescentChildHumansMemory, Short-TermPrefrontal CortexRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicCentral Nervous System StimulantsMethylphenidatedrug treatmentsevidence-based medicineexecutive functionsMPHtranscranial direct current stimulation

Identifiers

PMID35457447
PMCPMC9030177
OpenAlexW4223436838

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.