NEUROCHEMICAL STUDIES OF ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER MEDICATIONS IN THE STRIATUM AND

25 % L-) amphetamine; Adderall®, and methylphenidate are first-line treatments for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In vivo studies have predominantly focused on these stimulants in the context of drug abuse, and their therapeutic mechanistic properties are only theoretical. Previously, in vivo techniques have been limited by poor temporal and spatial resolution, and characterizations of these medications in rodent models have not been possible at low, clinically relevant levels. In order to address these issues, our laboratory used in vivo high speed chronoamperometric microelectrodes to characterize the effects of local applications of D-amphetamine, L-amphetamine, D,L-amphetamine, and Adderall ® at low levels in the striatum and nucleus accumbens of 3-6 month old, male Fischer 344 (F344) rats. Our results showed significant differences between the faster kinetics of dopamine (DA) release signals caused by D,L-amphetamine and the slower kinetics resulting from D-amphetamine. These data support that resulting DA concentrations evoked by D-and D,L-amphetamine are correlated with the amount of D-amphetamine in th