Imaging Stimulant and Non Stimulant Treatments for ADHD: A Network Based Approach

Summary

The growing number of medications used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) raises important questions about whether different medications have similar or different therapeutic mechanisms of action. We have recently shown that the stimulant methylphenidate (MPH) and the non-stimulant atomoxetine (ATX) produce clinical improvement via a common mechanism in motor cortex, and distinct actions in frontostriatal and midline cingulate-precuneus regions. These exciting findings offer a window into the common and unique neurophysiological mechanisms of response to stimulant and non-stimulant treatments. However, the interpretation and clinical utility of these results would be greatly enhanced by in-depth investigation of the impact of the two treatments on relevant neural networks, and analyses which evaluate whether improvement is achieved via normalization or other adaptive changes in brain function.

Timeline

Start

2012-10

Primary completion

2018-04-30

Completion

2018-04-30

Drugs

Indications