Prevalence of Lidocaine Ineffectiveness in Adults With and Without ADHD

Using a non-invasive, pain-free, taste-based approach to assess lidocaine effectiveness, the study will assess the frequency of ineffectiveness in the target population. We will use an identical protocol at two sites: Jacobi hospital and Boston Clinical Trials.

The controlled trial will assess the ability of lidocaine oral gel to block taste (e.g., sweet) in 100 teens and adults, half with a history of ADHD, and for females, we will compare the sub-groups with and without premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

This study will also be compared with a similar assessment among a specialized ADHD population (NCT03563573), that does not respond to existing medication..

Inclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria

for both arms:

(1) known adverse reactions to lidocaine; (2) ADHD, ADD, and other inattention disorders; (3) epilepsy, IQ <80, severe head trauma, birth weight <2270 grams, and severe autism; (4) treatment currently with potassium or potassium-elevating drugs such as renin-angiotensin-aldosterone blockers; (5) generalized anxiety disorders (but dental-specific anxiety will not be an exclusion because many of these individuals may be ones with anxiety because of painful dental experiences with lidocaine ineffectiveness); (6) mouth sores; (7) Ehlers Danlos syndrome, (8) red hair, and (9) current pregnancy.