title: Increased prefrontal hemodynamic change after atomoxetine administration in pediatric attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Atomoxetine, approved in Japan for the treatment of pediatric attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in April 2009, is a nonstimulant that is thought to act presynaptically via the inhibition of norepinephrine reuptake. Near-infrared spectroscopy is a non-invasive optical tool that can be used to study oxygenation and hemodynamic changes in the cerebral cortex. The present study examined the effects of a clinical dose of atomoxetine on changes in prefrontal hemodynamic activity in children with ADHD, as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy using the Stroop Color-Word Task.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten children with ADHD participated in the present study. We used 24-channel near-infrared spectroscopy to measure the relative concentrations of oxyhemoglobin in the frontal lobes of participants in the drug-naïve condition and those who had received atomoxetine for 8 weeks. Measurements were conducted every 0.1 s during the Stroop Color-Word Task. We used the ADHD Rating Scale-IV-Japanese version (Home Version) to evaluate ADHD symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a significant decrease in ADHD Rating Scale-IV-Japanese version scores, from 30.7 to 22.6 (P=0.003). During the Stroop Color-Word Task, we found significantly higher levels of oxyhemoglobin changes in the prefrontal cortex of participants in the atomoxetine condition compared with those in the drug-naïve condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This increase in oxyhemoglobin changes might indicate an intensified prefrontal hemodynamic response induced by atomoxetine. Near-infrared spectroscopy is a sensitive tool for measuring the pharmacological effects of atomoxetine in children with ADHD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: Toyosaku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ota
authors.forename: Junzo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Iida
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.forename: Satomi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamuro
authors.forename: Shotaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uratani
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Negoro
authors.forename: Toshifumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000069445:Atomoxetine Hydrochloride / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; D057190:Stroop Test
chemical_list: D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D010108:Oxyhemoglobins; D000069445:Atomoxetine Hydrochloride
keywords: atomoxetine; functional neuroimaging study; near-infrared spectroscopy; pediatric attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; prefrontal hemodynamic response