American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine
Practice Guideline for Methylphenidate Use in Persons With Traumatic Brain Injury: Report of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine
Abstract
This clinical practice guideline (CPG) provides evidence-informed recommendations on the use of methylphenidate hydrochloride (MPH) in adults with cognitive and noncognitive neuropsychiatric symptoms in the subacute or chronic periods after traumatic brain injury (TBI). The CPG was developed by an American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine multidisciplinary author panel with expertise in brain injury rehabilitation and included professionals in physical medicine and rehabilitation, basic/translational science, neurology, behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry, nursing, and neuropsychology. Rationales and recommendations were written based on evidence from an accompanying systematic review. The generation and finalization of CPG recommendations followed procedures in the 2017 American Academy of Neurology Guideline Development and Process Manual. Clinicians should establish a therapeutic alliance and apply principles of pharmacotherapy in persons with TBI to identify indications for and contraindications to MPH use, facilitate treatment adherence, and optimize outcomes. MPH should be offered to improve sustained attention and processing speed performance and may be offered to improve selective attention performance among adults with TBI. MPH should be offered to improve depressive symptoms among adult patients with TBI in whom rapid resolution of depressive symptoms and/or treatment of co-occurring cognitive impairments are clinical priorities. MPH should not be offered to improve performance in executive functioning or working memory among adults with TBI. Although MPH is usually well tolerated among adults with TBI, clinicians should follow standard assessment, education, dosing, and monitoring recommendations when prescribing MPH to optimize its safety and tolerability. A summary of all recommendations on the use of MPH in TBI is available at the end of the CPG.
Source and rights
Published by Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation, 2026. The guideline itself is at the source linked here.
Prognia summarises this guideline for reference and education. It is not medical advice. Always check the official guideline and current local protocols before acting on it.