The DOI matches its Crossref record; 25 of the 25 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Comparing Guanfacine and Dextroamphetamine for the Treatment of Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Abstract
The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of the alpha-2a agonist guanfacine with that of dextroamphetamine for the treatment of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Seventeen adult outpatients who met DSM-IV criteria for ADHD participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study comparing drug effects on ADHD symptoms. Measures of change included the DSM-IV ADHD Behavior Checklist for Adults and the Copeland Symptom Checklist for Adult Attention Deficit Disorders. Cognitive measures of attention included the Stroop and Controlled Oral Word Association Test using the letters "C," "F," and "L" (COWAT, CFL version). For each trial, the drug was administered daily and titered up to optimal doses of maximum efficacy but with a minimum of side effects, and then data were collected. Both drugs significantly reduced ADHD symptoms on the DSM-IV Adult Behavior Checklist for Adults over placebo (p < 0.05). The Stroop Color subscale showed significant improvement for both drugs (p < 0.05), but the Color-Word measures showed significant improvement for guanfacine only (p < 0.01). The average dose of guanfacine was 1.10 (SD = 0.60), and the most common side effect of guanfacine was fatigue. No subjects discontinued drug trials. This preliminary study indicates that guanfacine may be a well-tolerated treatment option for adult ADHD.
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“Together, this suggests that guanfacine, while improving ADHD symptoms relative to placebo (39–41, 43, 44), may not be an optimal drug to improve specific attention measures.”
From Differential effects of a single dose of Lisdexamfetamine and Guanfacine on cognitive function in children with ADHD (2025) · cites this paper as [44]
In the citing paper
“Only one small study of 17 adults with ADHD showed improvement in focused attention and interference inhibition in the Stroop task after two weeks of both guanfacine and dextroamphetamine relative to placebo, with guanfacine being superior to dextroamphetamine (44).”
From Differential effects of a single dose of Lisdexamfetamine and Guanfacine on cognitive function in children with ADHD (2025) · cites this paper as [44]
In the citing paper
“Out of six studies testing effects of mostly longer-term guanfacine effects on cognition, four reported sedative symptoms (39, 40, 43) or fatigue (44) while two other studies did not record or report them (39, 42).”
From Differential effects of a single dose of Lisdexamfetamine and Guanfacine on cognitive function in children with ADHD (2025) · cites this paper as [44]
In the citing paper
“An early, small study of adults with ADHD showed that guanfacine could improve performance of the Stroop interference task”
From Guanfacine’s mechanism of action in treating prefrontal cortical disorders: Successful translation across species (2020) · cites this paper as Taylor & Russo, 2001
In the citing paper
“Guanfacine, a direct alpha2a agonist, has been shown to improve feature-based selective attention in at least one study of 17 adults with ADHD126.”
From Paying attention to attention in depression (2019) · cites this paper as [126]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Taylor, F. B., & Russo, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Washington (US)
- Corresponding author
- Taylor, Fletcher B.
- Venue
- Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
- Published
- 2001-04
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 223-228
- ISSN
- 0271-0749 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2018897037
- Cited by
- 189
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 6.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Keywords
- adult ADHD, guanfacine, d-amphetamine, stimulant medication, ADHD symptom reduction, Stroop task, Controlled Oral Word Association Test, attention, drug tolerability, fatigue
- MeSH terms
- Adrenergic alpha-Agonists, Adult, Analysis of Variance, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Dextroamphetamine, Double-Blind Method, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychological Tests, Guanfacine, Cross-Over Studies, Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors
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