Akiko Araki1, Masanaga Ikegami2, Akie Okayama1, Naoya Matsumoto3, Satoru Takahashi3, Hiroshi Azuma1, Masaharu Takahashi4. 1. Department of Pediatrics, Asahikawa Medical University, Japan; Medical Research Center for Children's Development, Asahikawa Medical University, Japan. 2. Department of Psychology, Asahikawa Medical University, Japan. Electronic address: ikegamim@asahikawa-med.ac.jp. 3. Department of Pediatrics, Asahikawa Medical University, Japan. 4. Department of Psychology, Asahikawa Medical University, Japan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Atomoxetine (ATX), a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, is the first approved non-stimulant drug for treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). The present study examined the effects of long-term treatment with ATX on prefrontal hemodynamic activity in AD/HD children during a continuous performance task (CPT) using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). METHODS: Prefrontal hemodynamic activity was measured in 12 children with AD/HD during experimental sessions conducted before and 6 months or more after starting ATX treatment. The average maintenance dose of ATX was 1.6 mg/kg/day. Fourteen age-matched typically developing children participated as a control group. RESULTS: In the control group, the CPT induced a significant increase in oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) concentration in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). In the AD/HD group in the pre-ATX condition, the CPT did not induce a significant increase in oxy-Hb concentration in any of the NIRS channels, but induced a significant decrease in oxy-Hb concentration in the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC). In the AD/HD group in the post-ATX condition, significant activation was observed in the right DLPFC and the decrease in oxy-Hb concentration in the left VLPFC disappeared. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that long-term treatment with ATX improved prefrontal hemodynamic activity in AD/HD children, and NIRS may be useful for assessment of the prefrontal hemodynamic response to ATX treatment.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Atomoxetine (ATX), a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, is the first approved non-stimulant drug for treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). The present study examined the effects of long-term treatment with ATX on prefrontal hemodynamic activity in AD/HDchildren during a continuous performance task (CPT) using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). METHODS: Prefrontal hemodynamic activity was measured in 12 children with AD/HD during experimental sessions conducted before and 6 months or more after starting ATX treatment. The average maintenance dose of ATX was 1.6 mg/kg/day. Fourteen age-matched typically developing children participated as a control group. RESULTS: In the control group, the CPT induced a significant increase in oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) concentration in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). In the AD/HD group in the pre-ATX condition, the CPT did not induce a significant increase in oxy-Hb concentration in any of the NIRS channels, but induced a significant decrease in oxy-Hb concentration in the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC). In the AD/HD group in the post-ATX condition, significant activation was observed in the right DLPFC and the decrease in oxy-Hb concentration in the left VLPFC disappeared. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that long-term treatment with ATX improved prefrontal hemodynamic activity in AD/HDchildren, and NIRS may be useful for assessment of the prefrontal hemodynamic response to ATX treatment.
Authors: Kristen R Hamilton; Andrew K Littlefield; Noelle C Anastasio; Kathryn A Cunningham; Latham H L Fink; Victoria C Wing; Charles W Mathias; Scott D Lane; Christian G Schütz; Alan C Swann; C W Lejuez; Luke Clark; F Gerard Moeller; Marc N Potenza Journal: Personal Disord Date: 2015-04