Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40640997›Full record

ArticleActa neuropsychiatrica2025

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder drug search trends: a Scandinavian perspective.

Maximilian Zoltek, Richard Ågren

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Acta neuropsychiatrica, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

2 authors.

Maximilian ZoltekDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Richard ÅgrenDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1331-7907

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Pharmacological treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) involves central stimulants and non-stimulant drugs. Because treatment preferences may vary geographically, we hypothesize that prescription data can be estimated from publicly available sources. First, we explore the relevance of internet search trends as proxies for real-life drug prescription patterns. Second, we identify geographical variations in ADHD drug trends over time. Publicly available Google Trends data for five ADHD drugs were analysed for the years 2010–2023. Temporal and spatial patterns were compared within Scandinavia, and the preference for central stimulants over non-stimulant drugs was compared across 17 countries. We find that internet search trends correlate with ADHD drug prescriptions. In the Scandinavian countries, a dominance of methylphenidate is observed, with rising internet search trends over time in Norway and Denmark. Furthermore, interest in lisdexamphetamine, relative to dextroamphetamine and atomoxetine, has increased sharply in recent years in the Scandinavian countries. The search proportion of central stimulants to non-stimulant drugs in Scandinavia ranges from 81% (Denmark) to 93% (Norway). Overall, internet search trends for ADHD drugs mirror reported prescription patterns and identify a dominance of methylphenidate, with an increasing interest in lisdexamphetamine. As such, search trends may serve as a feasible source for identifying geographical drug preferences.

Indexed as

Attention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityCentral Nervous System StimulantsDrug PrescriptionsInternetAtomoxetine HydrochlorideDextroamphetamineHumansMethylphenidateScandinavian and Nordic CountriesAtomoxetine HydrochlorideCentral Nervous System StimulantsDextroamphetamineMethylphenidateAttention-deficit hyperactivity disordercentral stimulantGoogle Trendsneuropsychiatryprescription patternspsychopharmacologyScandinavia

Identifiers

PMID40640997
PMCPMC13130290

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.