Creativity, measured by the Torrance nonverbal thinking test, was compared in 19 boys with ADHD and 21 control subjects. Boys with ADHD received methylphenidate (mean dose, 0.4 mg/kg) before the first of two test sessions. Torrance scores were 7% lower in boys with ADHD compared to controls. Methylphenidate did not adversely affect creative thinking scores in ADHD boys. [1]
COMMENT. The results suggest that impulsivity, a characteristic of ADHD children, is not fundamental to creativity; and creativity, as measured by the nonverbal Torrance test, is not impaired by methylphenidate.