Guanfacine Augmentation of Attentional Functioning in the Schizophrenia Spectrum

The noradrenergic system has been evaluated in numerous animal studies (Arnsten, 2020). Agents that target the norepinephrine system are promising treatment targets and may ameliorate cognitive impairments in individuals with schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder (SPD), a group with cognitive impairments similar to those seen in schizophrenia, but which is psychoactive drug naïve, eliminating medication confounds associated with schizophrenia research. We evaluated the efficacy of guanfacine, an α2a agonist, in SPD.