San Francisco, Calif-Long-term treatment of 384 adult ADHD patients with atomoxetine (Strattera, Lilly) showed that 67% responded with at least a 30% improvement and 47% had at least a 50% improvement in Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scale total symptom score. Additionally, 81% of patients experienced at least a 1 point decrease in Cognitive Global Impression-Severity score and 48% had at least a 2 point decrease, as presented at the American Psychiatric Association's 156th Annual Meeting.

All patients had previously participated in a 10-week, placebo-controlled, acute trial during which the average atomoxetine dose was 94.3 mg/d. This was followed by a 4-week washout period and open-label treatment for an average of 34 weeks in which patients received 60 to 120 mg of atomoxetine daily, with 7.8% withdrawing due to adverse events. Twenty-one percent withdrew due to lack of efficacy.

A related analysis of patients enrolled in the study showed a 40% improvement in emotional dysregulation symptoms (temper, affective lability, emotional overreactivity) among adults with ADHD.