Bupropion SR in adults with ADHD: a short-term, placebo-controlled trial

Frederick W Reimherr¹, Dawson W Hedges^1,2, Robert E Strong¹, Barrie K Marchant¹, Erika D Williams¹

¹University of Utah, Department of Psychiatry, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; ²Present address: Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA

Abstract: Increased attention has been given to the alternatives to stimulants in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in both adults and children. This short-term, double-blind trial was designed to evaluate the extended-release form of bupropion in adult subjects meeting DSM-IV and the Utah Diagnostic Criteria for ADHD. Outcome measures were the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement (CGI-I) and the Wender-Reimherr Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Scale (WRAADDS), which assesses adult ADHD symptoms. Outcome (defined by the CGI-I, average WRAADDS scores, or a 50% improvement on the WRAADDS) favored bupropion SR over placebo, but achieved statistical significance on only one, post hoc measure. Other measures showed trends for improvement with bupropion. Given the small size of this study, these findings deserve further exploration.

Keywords: bupropion SR, ADHD, adult, controlled study