Treatment with methylphenidate, better known as Ritalin, may reduce attentional and social problems in kids who’ve survived leukemia or brain tumors, according to researchers.

Still, further studies are needed to determine which children benefit most from such therapy.

Survivors of childhood cancers are known to be at increased risk for attention and learning problems in school. Although methylphenidate is a well-established treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD, it was unclear if the drug was useful for treating similar difficulties in young cancer survivors.

To investigate, Dr. Raymond K. Mulhern, from the St. Jude Children’s Research in Memphis, Tennessee, and colleagues assessed the outcomes of 83 long-term survivors of leukemia or brain tumors who were treated with methylphenidate, at one of two doses, or with inactive “placebo” pills for 3 weeks.

As reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, behavioral changes were assessed with standard questionnaires given to the subjects’ teachers and parents.

Treatment with methylphenidate led to significant improvements in attentional and social deficits, the investigators note. Moreover, there was no evidence that the moderate dose was any better than the low dose.

Common side effects seen with methylphenidate included irritability, decreased appetite, and trouble sleeping, the authors note.

Given these encouraging findings, “our future plans include follow-up evaluations of children who continue methylphenidate treatments for 3, 6, and 12 months,” Mulhern said in a statement.

“In addition to improvements in learning and behavior, we would also like to know if such treatment results in structural changes in the brain, as hypothesized by other researchers,” he said.

SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Oncology, December 1, 2004.