ABSTRACT
Clonidine, an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist with known antihypertensive efficacy, has no established FDA recommendations for use in child and adolescent psychiatry. Because it activates presynaptic alpha-2 receptors—which, through their negative feedback action, results in the postsynaptic inhibition of central noradrenergic neurons—clonidine may be a particularly useful agent in psychiatry. It is currently under active investigation better to discern its role in the treatment of children and adolescents. Thus far, it has been most studied with regard to Tourette's disorder, ADHD in children and adolescents, and the control of opiate withdrawal symptoms.
