title: Guanfacine for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents.
abstract: Guanfacine is an α2A-adrenoreceptor agonist currently indicated for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This article reviews the chemistry, pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of guanfacine, as well as the clinical trial literature on guanfacine for the treatment of ADHD in children and adolescents, mainly focusing on the use of guanfacine extended-release (GXR). Six already published prospective randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and one unpublished RCT study were identified for GXR in the treatment of ADHD. All RCTs trials showed superiority over placebo on the primary outcome measure. Guanfacine, especially XR, seems to be an effective and safe treatment option for ADHD in children and adolescents.
authors: Neuropsichiatria Infantile, Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Pediatriche, Università di Catania, Via S. Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, Italia.
authors: Renata
authors: R
authors: Rizzo
authors: Davide
authors: D
authors: Martino
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D058647:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D016316:Guanfacine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D058647:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists; D016316:Guanfacine
keywords: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; guanfacine extended-release; guanfacine immediate-release; treatment; α2-adrenoreceptor agonist