Hyperactivity, drugs and attention deficit

Pozzi, M. and Hartley, L. (2011) Hyperactivity, drugs and attention deficit. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 23 (3). pp. 217-223.

Abstract

Thirty-two hyperactive children who were under imipramine or methylphenidate medication took part in the experiment. The children were asked to learn a set of paired associate pictures containing a salient, central, figure and a secondary figure below. Free recall of all pictures was scored both immediately and seven days later. The children were subdivided into four groups according to the classical state-dependent learning paradigm. Group 1 was withdrawn from medication on both trials, groups 2 and 3 were withdrawn from medication on the first or second trial and group 4 received medication on both trials. No drug effects were found in immediate total recall. Delayed free recall was improved when original learning was under the drug state. This result was related to the proposal that arousing words are better remembered in delayed recall. Delayed recall of the secondary stimuli was particularly improved by the drugs during learning. Drug state dependency of the children's memory was also shown.

Publication Type:	Journal Article
Murdoch Affiliation:	School of Psychology
Publisher:	Wiley
Copyright:	© 1984 The British Psychological Society
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/20974

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