Associations between CES1 variants and dosing and adverse effects in children taking methylphenidate

Methylphenidate is the most prescribed stimulant to treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as the most dispensed medication to adolescents 12-17 years. Despite its widespread usage, a fair proportion of children are classified as non-responders to the medication, while roughly half remain on the medication after one year. Variability in response and occurrence of adverse events with methylphenidate use may be due to pharmacogenetic differences resulting in pharmacokinetic and/or pharmacodynamic variances within the general population. The primary objective of this study was to analyze the effect of CES1 variants on the frequency and severity of adverse effects, overall clinical response, and dosing requirements of methylphenidate in children with ADHD.