PROJECT SUMMARY Children with Down syndrome (DS) have a 3-5 times greater prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) than typically developing children. Despite their higher risk of ADHD and consensus guideline recommendations to treat children with intellectual disability (ID) and comorbid ADHD with stimulants (the most efficacious ADHD treatment), children with DS+ADHD have disproportionately low rates of stimulant medication treatment. Possible reasons for under-utilization of stimulant treatment in DS+ADHD include: 1) diagnostic uncertainty regarding how to accurately diagnose ADHD in children with DS, making providers prone to “diagnostic overshadowing” (i.e., attributing ADHD to their ID); 2) the absence of any prior clinical trials examining the safety and efficacy of stimulant medication in children with DS+ADHD; and 3) concerns about cardiac safety, given the high incidence of congenital heart disease or defects (CHD) in the DS population. Based on R61 pilot trial findings, we propose the first randomized clinical trial of stimulant medication in children with DS+ADHD to provide evidence regarding the short and long-term safety and efficacy of stimulant use in children with DS+ADHD, both with and without CHD. One hundred (100) children with DS+ADHD aged 6-17 years will participate. Children with DS+ADHD will complete a multi-phased randomized, double-blind clinical trial with crossover to placebo and long-term follow-up to assess the short- and long-term efficacy and safety of stimulant medications for treating ADHD symptoms and impairment in children with DS. Study aims of the R33 will focus on 1) Assessing the short- and long-term safety of stimulant treatment in children with DS+ADHD with a specific focus on cardiac safety; 2) Determining the short- and long-term efficacy of stimulant treatment at remediating cognitive, behavioral, and functional impairments in children with DS+ADHD; and 3) Exploring moderators (e.g., IQ, ADHD subtype/presentation, executive functioning levels, comorbid internalizing disorders, CHD) of stimulant response and adverse effects. Results from this study will provide much needed diagnostic and treatment data that will directly impact the outcomes of the approximately 45,000 children with DS+ADHD nationwide.

PROJECT NARRATIVE Though children with Down syndrome (DS) are at increased risk for having a comorbid diagnosis of Attention- Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), ADHD is often under-recognized in children with DS due to “diagnostic overshadowing” by the primary intellectual disability. Even when ADHD is diagnosed in children with DS, ADHD is often under-treated due to a lack of data to support the efficacy and safety of stimulant medication in children with DS+ADHD, especially among the 50% of children with DS who have congenital heart defects and for whom there could be increased cardiac risk. This study, the first clinical trial of stimulant medication in children with DS+ADHD, will determine the short- and long-term efficacy and safety of these medications in children with DS+ADHD and thus has the potential to significantly improve the functional status, behavior, and quality of life of children with DS+ADHD.