Review on analytical methods for quantification of ADHD drugs in human biological samples

Abstract Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neuro-developmental disorder. The symptoms of ADHD include difficulty in attention, memory and impulse control. Many pharmaceutical formulations (stimulants and non-stimulants) are available on the market to treat ADHD symptoms. The most commonly used drugs for treatment are amphetamine, methylphenidate, atomoxetine, bupropion, guanfacine and clonidine. In the field of pharmaceuticals, bioanalysis is an important tool used for the quantification of drugs and their metabolites present in biological samples using various analytical methods. Although a number of analytical methods were reported for the quantification of these drugs in biological samples of experimental animals, due to species differences, it is important to develop analytical methods to quantify these drugs in human biological samples to aid forensic and pharmacokinetic studies. In this review, we compile the bio-analytical methods such as spectrophotometry, spectrofluorimetry, mass spectrometry, electrophoresis, liquid chromatography and gas chromatography used for the quantification of ADHD drugs in human biological samples such as blood, plasma, serum, oral fluids, sweat, hair and urine based on earlier published articles from various journals.