Ineffectiveness of imipramine in children who fail to respond to methylphenidate.

Ten hyperactive children who had failed to respond to methylphenidate were treated with imipramine in a placebo-controlled, crossover design. No significant drug effects were obtained either on parent and teacher ratings of the child's behavior or on the child's performance in a laboratory measure of sustained attention. Findings suggest that imipramine has limited clinical usefulness in the treatment of hyperactive children who fail to respond to methylphenidate.