ARTICLE Atomoxetine for the Treatment of Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder

indicated he has no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose. OBJECTIVE. In this study we examined the effectiveness of atomoxetine for the treat-ment of oppositional defiant disorder comorbid with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. METHODS. Patients were aged 6 to 12 years and met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, diagnostic criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with a Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham Rating Scale-Revised attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder subscale score above age and gender norms; Clinical Global Impressions-Severity Scale score of 4; and Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham Rating Scale-Revised oppositional defiant disorder subscale score of 15. Patients were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive 1.2 mg/kg per day of atomoxetine (n 156) or placebo (n 70) for 8 weeks. Treatment effect on oppositional defiant disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms was measured b