Mechanism of Action of α2A-Adrenergic Agonists in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder With or Without Oppositional Symptoms

Mechanism of Action of α2A-Adrenergic Agonists in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder With or Without Oppositional Symptoms

Stephen M. Stahl, MD, PhD

Issue: α2A-Adrenergic agonists hypothetically increase the strength of signals in prefrontal cortex (PFC), enhancing the efficiency of information processing at pyramidal neurons and resulting in the improvement of symptoms in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), including oppositional symptoms.

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Brainstorms is a section of The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry aimed at providing updates of novel concepts emerging from the neurosciences that have relevance to the practicing psychiatrist.

From the Neuroscience Education Institute in Carlsbad, California, and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Diego, and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

For reprint and financial disclosure information, go to www.psychiatrist.com/brainstorms.

doi:10.4088/JCP.09bs05899pur

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