Update on amphetamine neurotoxicity and its relevance to the treatment of ADHD.
OBJECTIVE
A review of amphetamine treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was conducted, to obtain information on the long-term neurological consequences of this therapy.


METHODS
Several databases were accessed for research articles on the effects of amphetamine in the brain of laboratory animals and ADHD diagnosed individuals.


RESULTS
In early studies, high doses of amphetamine, comparable to amounts used by addicts, were shown to damage dopaminergic pathways. More recent studies, using therapeutic regimens, appear contradictory. One paradigm shows significant decreases in striatal dopamine and transporter density after oral administration of "therapeutic" doses in primates. Another shows morphological evidence of "trophic" dendritic growth in the brains of adult and juvenile rats given systemic injections mimicking "therapeutic" treatment. Imaging studies of ADHD-diagnosed individuals show an increase in striatal dopamine transporter availability that may be reduced by methylphenidate treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Clarification of the neurological consequences of chronic AMPH treatment for ADHD is needed.
Advokat
Claire
C
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. cadvoka@lsu.edu
D000661:Amphetamine / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity*; D002648:Child; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D010215:Papio; D051381:Rats; D012453:Saimiri
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D000661:Amphetamine; D004298:Dopamine