An open trial of buspirone in the treatment of attention-deficit disorder.

OBJECTIVE

Medications such as clonidine have been shown to facilitate calming, to enhance frustration tolerance, and to reduce aggression in attention deficit disorder (ADD) patients. The use of buspirone was studied as an alternative because of its longer excretion half-life, decreased sedative side effects and more selective binding profile.

METHOD

Eight psychiatric outpatients diagnosed with ADD were rated at baseline and while taking buspirone to determine its efficacy as a treatment for ADD. Comparisons of Wender-Utah ratings within subject were used to measure behavioural changes in the subjects.

RESULTS

During buspirone treatment, the patients' mean scores improved significantly overall and in hyperactivity, inattention and immaturity factors.

CONCLUSIONS

This preliminary study indicates that buspirone might be a beneficial and useful treatment of ADD, reducing hyperactive behaviours and enabling greater attentional ability with minimal side effects.