Guanfacine extended release (GXR) and atomoxetine (ATX) are nonstimulant treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As nonstimulant treatments are often used after stimulants in ADHD, GXR was assessed relative to prior stimulant treatment in a randomized controlled trial (RCT), in which ATX was included as a reference arm, and in the open-label phase of a randomized-withdra...

Stimulants are the main pharmacological treatment for patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Their current prescription rates are rising, both in children, adolescents and adults. Related to the impulse control phenotype, both preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated lower γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) levels in prefrontal brain regions in ADHD. Whereas stimulant...

This article describes the disparate research findings regarding the effects of stimulant medication in subsequent substance abuse and dependence. A minimum of 4 to 5% of children in the United States will be diagnosed with ADHD; thus it is important for parents to be informed when making decisions about the use of stimulant medication to treat symptoms. Considering the inconsistencies in the l...

Psychostimulants like cocaine and amphetamine are commonly abused by young adults who often state that they take these drugs to increase social or cognitive performance. The current study tested the hypothesis that individuals at early stages of occasional stimulant use show subtle executive dysfunctions such as verbal fluency deficits. 155 young (age 18-25), non-dependent occasional users of s...

Background: In light of recent evidence suggesting the presence of stress processing deficits in stimulant users, coupled with laboratory studies demonstrating an association between stress reactivity and relapse to stimulant use, interventions that target stress-induced craving and stress reactivity may reduce relapse risk in this population. Objective: This study examines changes in stress re...

Bayesian ideal observer models quantify individuals' context- and experience-dependent beliefs and expectations about their environment, which provides a powerful approach (i) to link basic behavioural mechanisms to neural processing; and (ii) to generate clinical predictors for patient populations. Here, we focus on (ii) and determine whether individual differences in the neural representation...

objectives: early maladaptive schemas are valid representations of unpleasant childhood experiences that shape a person’s viewpoints of the world, and lead to clinical symptoms such as depression, personality disorders, and substance abuse. given the importance of this matter, we conducted a research on early maladaptive schemas in substance-abusers, to allow more appropriate preventive measure...

Ephedra gerardiana (E. gerardiana,), commonly known as "Ma-huang," is a medicinal plant native to the Himalayan region. Historically, it has long traditional use in various indigenous systems for purpose. The current review aims summarize present knowledge on botanical description, phytochemistry, uses, and pharmacological properties of E. gerardiana. This study was thoroughly based previous li...

Although the behavioral-stimulant and reinforcing effects of cocaine and related psychomotor stimulants have been attributed to their actions at the dopamine transporter (DAT), the reinforcing effectiveness of these compounds varies. The properties that confer these differences are important considerations when developing agonist pharmacotherapies for the treatment of stimulant abuse. The prese...

OBJECTIVES Baseline and post-concussion neurocognitive testing is useful in managing concussed athletes. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and stimulant medications are recognized as potential modifiers of performance on neurocognitive testing by the Concussion in Sport Group. Our goal was to assess whether individuals with ADHD perform differently on post-concussion testing and i...