Overall, all medications, except modafinil in adults, were more efficacious than placebo for the short-term treatment of ADHD, and they were less efficacious and less well tolerated in adults than in children and adolescents. However, the included medications were not equivalent in relation to their mean effect size, which ranged from moderate to high and varied according to the type of rater. Furthermore, even though amphetamines were the most efficacious compounds in children, adolescents, and adults, the effects of medications varied across age groups for several outcomes. With respect to tolerability, in children, only amphetamines and guanfacine were less well tolerated than placebo, whereas in adults, methylphenidate, amphetamines, and atomoxetine were worse than placebo. Additionally, amphetamines significantly increased diastolic blood pressure in children and adolescents, but not in adults. In children and adolescents, methylphenidate was the only drug with better acceptability than placebo; in adults, amphetamines were the only compound with better acceptability than placebo. Atomoxetine had the lowest mean effect size in children and adolescents based on clinicians' ratings, but in adults, its efficacy on ADHD core symptoms was
