Rapport M D, Carlson G A, Kelly K L, Pataki C
Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu 96822.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1993 Mar;32(2):333-42. doi: 10.1097/00004583-199303000-00014.
The separate and combined effects of methylphenidate and desipramine on cognitive function were investigated in 16 psychiatrically hospitalized children with primary, secondary, and mixed features of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and mood disorder.
A double-blind, placebo controlled, crossover design was used to investigate drug effects on vigilance, short-term memory, visual problem solving, and higher-order learning.
Methylphenidate alone improved vigilance, both drugs positively affected short-term memory and visual problem solving, and combined drugs affected learning of higher-order relationships.
Separate and combined drug effects are related to the specific cognitive domain assessed and have implications for neurotransmitter models of action.
