Oral pemoline kinetics in hyperactive children

Abstract

The time course of pemoline in plasma was investigated in 7 prepubescent boys with attention-deficit disorders who were hyperactive. Maximum plasma concentrations of 4.3 .+-. 1.0 mg/l were reached 2.8 .+-. 1.8 h after a single, 2 mg/kg oral dose of pemoline, followed by a monoexponential decline in plasma concentration over time. Mean t1/2 [half-time] and total body clearance of pemoline were 8.6 h and 0.65 ml/min per kg. The 600% interindividual variation in elimination t1/2 and the 300% variation in total body clearance of pemoline may explain the unpredictable nature of its dynamics and associated neurotoxicity in some cases.