Effects of Methylphenidate and Bupropion on DHEA-S and Cortisol Plasma Levels in Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

• DOI: 10.1007/s10578-007-0081-6
• Publication Date: 2007-08-30T07:44:47Z
• Authors: Moon-Soo Lee; Jae-Won Yang; Young-Hoon Ko; Changsu Han; Seung-Hyun Kim; Min-Soo Lee; Sook-Haeng Joe; In-Kwa Jung
• Keywords: Bupropion

We evaluated plasma levels of DHEA-S and cortisol before and after treating ADHD patients with one of two medications: methylphenidate (n = 12) or bupropion (n = 10). Boys with ADHD (combined type) were evaluated with the Korean ADHD rating scale (K-ARS) and the computerized ADHD diagnostic system (ADS). All assessments were measured at baseline and repeated after 12 weeks. There were significant clinical improvements in both treatment groups as measured by K-ARS and ADS. DHEA-S levels increased from baseline to endpoint, but cortisol levels did not change significantly. This study suggests that both methylphenidate and bupropion increase plasma levels of DHEA-S in boys with ADHD.