Improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and reduced functional impairment in domains such as educational achievement and interpersonal relations are key goals in the management of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in addition to the relief of symptoms. The stimulant prodrug lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) has been shown to be an effective treatment for ADHD in children, adolescents and adults in short-term clinical trials.

This study used a randomized-withdrawal design to evaluate the impact of continued long-term (at least 26 weeks’) LDX treatment of children and adolescents with ADHD on parental perceptions of HRQoL and functional impairment, using the Child Health and Illness Profile-Child Edition: Parent Report Form (CHIP-CE: PRF) and the Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale-Parent Report (WFIRS-P) instruments, respectively.

During the 6-week, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized-withdrawal period, the effect of continued LDX treatment differed statistically significantly from placebo in three of the five CHIP-CE: PRF domains, and in three of the six WFIRS-P domains and in WFIRS-P total score.