Terje Sagvolden

Sagvolden's research career started with his work for his PhD, which he obtained in 1979 from the University of Oslo based on a thesis entitled Behavioral Changes in Rats with Septal Lesions: Effects of Water-Deprivation Level and Intensity of Electrical Shocks.[4] Sagvolden is best known for the discovery that the SHR rat strain is hyperactive.[2][5] Over the next decades, he then went on to demonstrate that this strain is a valid animal model for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).[6] Subsequently, Sagvolden also showed that the WKY/NCrl rat strain showed inattention, but no impulsivity or hyperactivity, and validated this strain as an animal model of inattentive ADHD.[1][7][8] Over the course of his career, Sagvolden worked not only with rats, but also with humans[9][10] and pigeons.[11]

Sagvolden was the founding editor-in-chief of the scientific journal Behavioral and Brain Functions, from the time of its establishment in 2005 to his death in 2011.[1][12][13] In 1989 he co-edited, together with Trevor Archer, a book summarizing current research on ADHD,[14] followed in 1998 by a special issue on ADHD for Behavioural Brain Research.[1][15]

Sagvolden was a member at large of the executive committee of the European Brain and Behaviour Society from 1986 to 1989 and its secretary from 1990 to 1995.[2] Over the last two decades of his life, he was an active supporter of the Society of Neuroscientists of Africa (SONA) and in 1993 played a significant role in its founding.[1] He was subsequently member of SONA's International Advisory Committee[1] and an official internal adviser from 1999 to 2004.[2] In 2000, Sagvolden organized the first IBRO school in Africa at the University of the North (Pietersburg, South Africa).[16] In addition, Sagvolden was one of the "founding fathers" of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies, where he represented Norway on the council from the foundation of the federation until his death.[17]

Outside of the scientific community, Sagvolden was also active in local politics. He was a member of the Lier municipal council for the Conservative Municipal Group from 2003 until his death, and served in the areas of health, culture, childhood, education.[18] In 2003, he was one of the top five candidates to run for mayor.[19]

According to the Web of Science, Sagvolden published over 103 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. As of January 2014, these articles have been cited over 3400 times, resulting in an h-index of 30. His three most-cited publications (> 185 times) are:

• Sagvolden T, Johansen EB, Aase H, Russell VA (June 2005). "A dynamic developmental theory of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) predominantly hyperactive/impulsive and combined subtypes". The Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 28 (3): 397–419, discussion 419–68. doi:10.1017/S0140525X05000075. PMID 16209748.
• Sagvolden T (January 2000). "Behavioral validation of the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) as an animal model of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD)". Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. 24 (1): 31–9. doi:10.1016/S0149-7634(99)00058-5. PMID 10654658. S2CID 23286997.
• Sagvolden T, Sergeant JA (July 1998). "Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder--from brain dysfunctions to behaviour". Behavioural Brain Research. 94 (1): 1–10. doi:10.1016/S0166-4328(97)00164-2. PMID 9708834. S2CID 208792456.