Dexmedetomidine is an
alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonist (A2ARA) used for sedation and analgesia, and as an adjunct in anesthesia to reduce anesthetic requirements in procedures requiring total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) (1,2,3).
The
alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonist guanfacine (Tenex) also seems, on the basis of clinical experience and limited research, to have some value for hyperactivity, Dr.
In experiments carried out in heroin-(11) and cocaine-trained rats (12) and rats trained with a heroin-cocaine mixture (13), we found that pharmacological inhibition of NE cell firing and release (by systemic injections of
alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonists at doses that suppress NE cell firing through auto-inhibition), strongly attenuated footshock-induced relapse.
