Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate effective with chronic fatigue syndrome, cognition and pain

PHILADELPHIA — Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate was found to reduce symptoms of pain and fatigue and improve executive functioning, according to new study results presented here at the 2012 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting.

Joel L. Young, MD, medical director of the Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine in Rochester Hills, Mich., examined whether lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX; Vyvanse, Shire Development) was effective in the treatment of adults diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) using a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Joel L. Young

The researcher enrolled 30 participants, including 27 women, with CFS aged 21 to 59 years. Participants were assigned “a flexible morning dose” of 30 mg, 50 mg or 70 mg of LDX or placebo, according to Young. Participants’ symptoms were assessed at each visit. Cognitive impairment was assessed using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function for adults (BRIEF-A), the study’s primary outcome measure. Fatigue and pain were assessed using the Fatigue Severity scale, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and the McGill Pain Questionnaire. Young also used the Clinical Global Impression-Severity rating scale, the Hamilton Anxiety Scale and the ADHD Rating Scale.

Results showed that compared with those assigned to the placebo group, participants treated with LDX reported statistically significant improvement on the BRIEF-A, Clinical Global Impression-Severity rating scale (.64 vs. 1.92), Fatigue Severity Scale (5.0 vs. 20.92) McGill Pain Inventory (2.45 vs. 10.38), and the ADHD Rating Scale (8.73 vs. 18.17).

“I found improvements in cognitive functioning, and the participants on active treatment had a statistically significant reduction in pain symptoms,” Young said. “The Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale was also better at the end of the six-week study.” Young said CFS is poorly understood, has a high prevalence, and there are currently no approved medications to treat the disorder.

LDX has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, adolescents and adults.

For More Information:
Young, JL. NR7-22. Presented at: the 2012 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting. May 5-May 9, 2012; Philadelphia.

Disclosure: Dr. Young’s research was funded by a grant from Shire Development, which was not involved in the design and execution of the study or the interpretation of the study’s data.