The NICHQ Vanderbilt Assessment Scale is a validated and reliable tool commonly used to assist clinicians in the diagnosis of ADHD in children.  The scale queries parents for their perception of their child’s frequency of symptoms of ADHD, oppositional behavior, conduct disorder, anxiety, and depression, as well as overall functional impairment. Use of medications for ADHD in children has increased over time and research has not confirmed any clear reasons for this uptick.

Demographic data, initial visit Vanderbilt Scale scores, and prescription medication records for 59 consecutive children with clinically-diagnosed ADHD at the Child Neurology practice of a teaching hospital were collected and analyzed.    

The average age of the children was 9.95 years (range: 4-18); they followed up for an average of 4.2 months.  Of the 59 children, 23 (39%) started medication for ADHD.  Between the group that was started on medication and the group that was not started on medication, t-test (2-tailed) showed no significant differences in parental perception of symptoms of inattention (p=0.296), hyperactivity (p=0.467), oppositional behavior (p=0.5014), conduct-disorder behavior (p=0.968), depression/anxiety (p=0.607), or in level of functional (p=0.216).  According to a logistical regression analysis, ratings of the aforementioned variables accurately predict medication prescription only 60.3% of the time.