comparison of stimdate with ritalin in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a double-blind, randomized clinical trial

objectives: the aim of this randomized clinical trial was to assess the efficacy of stimdate compared to ritalin in the treatment of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd). method: sixty four subjects (45 boys and 15 girls) aged 5-13 who were diagnosed with adhd based on (dsm-iv-tr) criteria were selected for this study. the subjects were randomly assigned to two groups: one group with 30 subjects received stimdate and the other group of 30 subjects received ritalin for 6 weeks. treatment outcomes were assessed using the attention deficit hyperactivity rating scale administered at baseline and on weeks 2, 4 and 6 following the treatment. a two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (time- treatment interaction) was used. results: there were no significant differences between sex, age, weight, and ethnicity of the participants in the 2 groups. both groups showed a significant improvement during the 6 weeks of the treatment period, and this improvement was due to the parents' adhd rating scale during the treatment. conclusion: based on the results of this study, no significant difference was observed between the two medications, and it seems both drugs behave[m1] in a similar way. in addition, stimdate appears to be effective and well tolerated for adhd in children and adolescents in iran.