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Seizure risk in patients with attention‐deficit‐hyperactivity disorder treated with atomoxetine
Author(s) -
Wernicke Joachim F,
Holdridge Karen Chilcott,
Jin Ling,
Edison Timothy,
Zhang Shuyu,
Bangs Mark E,
Allen Albert J,
Ball Susan,
Dunn David
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
developmental medicine and child neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.658
H-Index - 143
eISSN - 1469-8749
pISSN - 0012-1622
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2007.00498.x
Subject(s) - atomoxetine , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , medicine , psychiatry , atomoxetine hydrochloride , psychology , pediatrics , methylphenidate
The comorbidity of seizures, epilepsy, and attention‐deficit‐hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) prompted the examination of whether atomoxetine use for ADHD is associated with an increased risk of seizures. Seizures and seizure‐related symptoms were reviewed from two independent Eli Lilly and Company databases: the atomoxetine clinical trials database and the atomoxetine postmarketing spontaneous adverse event database. Review of clinical trial data indicated that the crude incidence rates of seizure adverse events were between 0.1 and 0.2%, and were not significantly different between atomoxetine, placebo, and methylphenidate. Only 2% of the postmarketing spontaneous reports of seizure events were classified as having no clear contributing or confounding factors, and the reporting rate (8 per 100 000 patients exposed) was within the expected range of population‐based incidence. Although children with ADHD are increasingly recognized as being at an elevated risk for seizures, treatment of ADHD symptoms with atomoxetine does not appear to elevate this risk further. The shared vulnerability between ADHD and seizure activity should be taken into account when making treatment decisions for populations of children with epilepsy and children with ADHD.