Lisdexamfetamine Targets Amygdala Mechanisms That Bias Cognitive Control in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Treatment with lisdexamfetamine potentiates affective encoding in amygdala, purportedly via catecholaminergic mechanisms, but functionally disconnects the amygdala from inferior frontal regions that encode behavioral significance-resulting in reduced emotional bias of cognitive control. Pinpointing the neurophysiologic underpinnings of therapeutic improvement with lisdexamfetamine represents a first step in developing targeted approaches to treatment of ADHD.