ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses that deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in girls raises complex questions of referral bias and selection criteria. The authors sought to determine whether they could recruit a research sample of comparably affected girls using a combination of sex-independent diagnostic criteria and sex-normed cutoffs on teacher ratings. They report on the largest placebo-controlled crossover comparison of methylphenidate and dextroamphetamine in girls with ADHD. The most common referral sources were local schools and physicians. Children were also referred by program alumni, the National Institutes of Health listing of clinical studies, friends, and the advocacy organization Children and Adults with Attentional Disorders. Most of the boys had been administered continuous performance test during baseline and drug double-blind periods, thus including placebo.
