Mechanism of Action and Clinical Implications of Vyvanse

Neurotransmitter Release and Reuptake

• The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry suggests that amphetamines, such as Vyvanse, increase the release of dopamine and norepinephrine into the extraneuronal space, providing an additional mechanism beyond reuptake blockade alone 1
• The combination of reuptake inhibition and enhanced release results in a substantial increase in synaptic dopamine and norepinephrine concentrations, which is thought to improve executive function, impulse control, and working memory deficits characteristic of ADHD, as recommended by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 2
• Enhanced monoamine signaling in the prefrontal cortex and striatum is associated with improved executive function, impulse control, and working memory deficits characteristic of ADHD, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 3