BIO

Hello, my name is Karsyn Baughman and I am from West Palm Beach, FL. I am a sophomore in the Honors program at FSU pursuing a degree in biology with a minor in psychology. My goal is to attend medical school to later become a forensic psychiatrist. I am currently working in the Learning Brain Lab as a research assistant for my mentor Dr. Nugiel to investigate sleep problems among adolescents with ADHD. Additionally, I am the Health & Wellness Coordinator of FSU Yoga Club and a leader for the FSU Hiking Club.

ADHD Medications’ Connection to Sleep Problems and Puberty

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulty regulating attention, behavior, and emotion. Youth with ADHD often have sleep problems which can exacerbate ADHD symptoms. Stimulant medications have been shown to significantly reduce ADHD symptoms. Considering the high frequency of both stimulant use and sleep problems among adolescents with ADHD, it is important to understand how medication use impacts sleep in youth with ADHD. Pubertal stage may also impact medication use, given that ADHD symptoms typically decrease in later stages of development. It is important to understand the relationship between medication use, sleep problems, and puberty in order to create treatment plans that effectively minimize symptoms. To examine this, we will use data from 10,000 youth 9-10 years old enrolled in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Using ANOVAs, we will examine how medication use and pubertal status relate to sleep problems in a subsample of youth with ADHD (N = ~1,000). We will also examine whether stimulant use changes with pubertal status. We predict that individuals who take stimulants will see increased sleep problems. Further, we predict that individuals with more advanced pubertal status will exhibit less medication use compared to their peers earlier in puberty. Preliminary analyses indicate that medication use and pubertal stage have significant effects on sleep problems. The results of this study can improve the understanding of how ADHD treatment can affect sleep in an important developmental transition period.

Keywords: ADHD, sleep, adolescents, medication, puberty