BACKGROUND
In addition to problems with attention and hyperactivity, children with ADHD present with poor organizational skills required for managing time and materials in academic projects. Organizational skills training (OST) has been increasingly used to address these deficits. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of OST in children with ADHD.


OBJECTIVES
The objective of this study was to systematically review the evidence of the effects of OST for children with ADHD for organizational skills, attention, and academic performance.


METHODS
We searched 3 electronic databases to locate randomized controlled trials published in English in peer-reviewed journals comparing OST with parent education, treatment-as-usual, or waitlist control conditions. Standardized mean difference effect sizes from the studies were statistically combined using a random-effects meta-analyses across six outcomes: teacher- and parent-rated organizational skills, teacher- and parent-rated inattention, teacher-rated academic performance, and Grade Point Average (GPA). Risk of bias was assessed for randomization, allocation concealment, blinding of participants and treatment personnel, blinding of outcome assessors, incomplete outcome data, and selective outcome reporting.


RESULTS
Twelve studies involving 1054 children (576 treatment, 478 control) were included in the meta-analyses. Weighted mean effect sizes for teacher- and parent-rated outcome measures of organizational skills were g=0.54 (95% CI 0.17 to 0.91) and g=0.83 (95% CI 0.32 to 1.34), respectively. Weighted mean effect sizes of teacher- and parent-rated symptoms of inattention were g=0.26 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.52) and g=0.56 (95% CI 0.38 to 0.74), respectively. Weighted standardized mean effect size for teacher-rated academic performance and GPA were g=0.33 (95% CI 0.14 to 0.51) and g=0.29 (95% CI 0.07 to 0.51), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
OST leads to moderate improvements in organizational skills of children with ADHD as rated by teachers and large improvements as rated by parents. More modest improvements were observed on the ratings of symptoms of inattention and academic performance.


PROTOCOL REGISTRATION
PROSPERO (CRD42015019261).

Meta-analysis of organizational skills interventions for children and adolescents with Attention-Deficti/Hyperactivity Disorder

Updates in Pharmacologic Strategies in Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Study Objective:
 SPN-812 (extended-release viloxazine) is a structurally distinct, bicyclic, Serotonin Norepinephrine Modulating Agent (SNMA) in development as a treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents. This Phase 3, randomized, double-blind study (P301) evaluated the efficacy and safety of once-daily SPN-812 at doses of 100 and 200 mg compared to placebo in children ages 6-11yrs with ADHD. Method:
 Inclusion criteria required subjects have a confirmed Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) ADHD diagnosis, ADHD-Rating Scale-5 (ADHD-RS-5) score ≥28, a Clinical Global Impression-Severity score ≥4, and be free of ADHD medication ≥1 week before randomization. This investigation was conducted at 34 study sites in the United States. Subjects (N=477) were randomized 1:1:1 to placebo:100 mg SPN-812:200 mg SPN-812. The 6-week treatment period included up to 1 week of titration and 5 weeks of maintenance (intent-to-treat population: N=460; placebo=155, 100 mg=147, 200 mg=158). The primary efficacy endpoint was the change from baseline (CFB) at end of study (EOS) in ADHD-RS-5 total score. Key secondary endpoints included Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) scores at EOS, and CFB at EOS in Conners 3-Parent Short Form (Conners 3-PS) Composite T-score and in Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale-Parent Version (WFIRS-P) total average score. Safety assessments included adverse events (AEs), laboratory tests, vital signs, physical exams, electrocardiograms, and the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Results:
 Compared to placebo, a significantly greater improvement in ADHD-RS-5 total score was observed in the 100 mg and 200 mg SPN-812 treatment groups beginning at week 1 (p=0.0004, p=0.0244; respectively) through EOS (p=0.0004, p<0.0001; respectively). Significant improvement at EOS for both 100 mg and 200 mg SPN-812 compared to placebo was also observed in CGI-I score (p=0.0020, p<0.0001; respectively), Connors 3-PS Composite T-score (p=0.0003, p=0.0002; respectively), and in WFIRS-P total average score (p=0.0019, p=0.0002, respectively). The most common (≥5%) treatment-related AEs reported were somnolence, decreased appetite, and headache. Conclusions:
 In this study, SPN-812 at 100 mg and 200 mg doses met the primary and secondary objectives with statistical significance. AE-related dropouts were ≤5%, indicating SPN-812 treatment was well tolerated.
 This study is an encore of a poster presentation at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). Funding Acknowledgements:
 This research was funded by Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Rockville, MD.

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111 Phase 3, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study (P301) Assessing Efficacy and Safety of Extended-Release Viloxazine in Children with ADHD

Introduction: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurobehavioral disorder that can be treated with both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic modalities. Effective drug treatm...

Nathalie Beltran

Papers

Reviewing the role of emerging therapies in the ADHD armamentarium.