Levoamphetamine and Dextroamphetamine: Differential Effect on Aggression and Hyperkinesis in Children and Dogs

¹ Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
² Research Associate in Psychiatry, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
³ Professor of Psychiatry (Physiology) and Biophysics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210

In laboratory experiments with hyperkinetic, untrainable dogs and in a comparison of levoamphetamine, dextroamphetamine, and placebo in children, levoamphetamine and dextroamphetamine were found to be approximately equal in calming an aggressive, hostile dog and in benefiting "unsocialized-aggressive" children: dextroamphetamine was more effective than levoamphetamine in calming "nervousness" and hyperactivity in dogs and in overanxious-hyperkinetic children. These data suggest that in the hyperkinetic syndrome, aggression and hostility may be benefited equally by levoamphetamine or dextroamphetamine via a dopaminergic mechanism, while anxiety and overactivity may be benefited significantly only by the dextro isomer via a norepinephrinergic mechanism.

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