alpha2-Adrenergic receptor agonists for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: emerging concepts from new data.
Recent developments in the field of neuroscience have illuminated the understanding of the neural circuits impaired in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the mechanism of action of treatments used to treat this condition. There is an exciting confluence between emerging studies in basic neurobiology and the genetic, neuroimaging, and neuropsychological analyses of ADHD. The following provides a brief review of this field, explaining how compounds like guanfacine and the traditional stimulant medications can reduce the core symptoms of ADHD by optimizing the neurochemical environment in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Knowledge of these basic mechanisms may inform our medication choices and facilitate treatment of ADHD and related disorders.
Arnsten
Amy F
AF
Director of Graduate Studies, Deparment of Neurobiology, Yale Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8001, USA. amy.arnsten@yale.edu
Scahill
Lawrence
L
Findling
Robert L
RL
D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000266:history / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000266:history / Q000503:physiopathology; D003000:Clonidine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D016316:Guanfacine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D018341:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism