Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2007 Winter;13(4):465-74.
doi: 10.1111/j.1527-3458.2007.00026.x.

Guanfacine and guanfacine extended release: treatment for ADHD and related disorders

David J Posey  1 , Christopher J McDougle
Affiliations
Review

Guanfacine and guanfacine extended release: treatment for ADHD and related disorders

David J Posey et al. CNS Drug Rev. 2007 Winter.

Abstract

Guanfacine, an alpha(2A) adrenoceptor agonist, is U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for the treatment of hypertension in adolescents and adults. It also has been used "off-label" for several years in children as a possible treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs). Small placebo-controlled trials support the use of guanfacine for the treatment of ADHD. There is more limited research on the use of guanfacine in treating hyperactivity occurring in children diagnosed with PDD. Recently, guanfacine extended release (GXR), a once-daily formulation has been manufactured and studied in phase III clinical trials. Based on preliminary scientific presentations, it also appears to be efficacious in improving ADHD in children. The most common adverse effects associated with guanfacine and GXR treatment is sedation. Adverse cardiovascular effects are uncommon, although modest reductions in blood pressure and heart rate are common. If GXR is FDA-approved, it would be the first alpha(2A) adrenoceptor agonist marketed for ADHD.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structure of guanfacine.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Abo‐Zena RA, Bobek MB, Dweik RA (2000) Hypertensive urgency induced by an interaction of mirtazapine and clonidine. Pharmacotherapy 20:76‐78. - PubMed
    1. Aman MG, Singh NN, Stewart AW, Field CJ (1985) The aberrant behavior checklist: A behavior rating scale of the assessment of treatment effects. Am J Ment Deficiency 89:485‐491. - PubMed
    1. Arnsten AF, Cai JX, Goldman‐Rakic PS (1988) The alpha‐2 adrenergic agonist guanfacine improves memory in aged monkeys without sedative or hypotensive side effects: Evidence for alpha‐2 receptor subtypes. J Neuroscience 11:4287‐4298. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Arnsten AF, Li BM (2005) Neurobiology of executive functions: Catecholamine influences on prefrontal cortical functions. Biol Psychiatry 57:1377‐1184. - PubMed
    1. Bailey RR, Neale TJ (1976) Rapid clonidine withdrawal with blood pressure overshoot exaggerated by beta‐blockade. Br Med J 1:942‐943. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms