ScienceDaily: A Concentration Killer: Study Shows Brain Chemistry Defect Is Key To Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder In Adults
ScienceDaily: A Concentration Killer: Study Shows Brain Chemistry Defect Is Key To Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder In Adults
"Ernst's study is an exciting and potentially very significant finding regarding the neural basis of ADHD and its developmental progression," says ADHD expert B.J. Casey, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
In the study, the researchers analyzed the brains of 17 ADHD adults with positron emission tomography (PET). The PET images, which highlighted the activity of the dopamine-producing enzyme, DOPA decarboxylase, indicate that an abnormality in dopamine production occurs in only one of the dopamine-rich brain regions, the anterior frontal cortex. This region underlies motor activity and cognitive processes, including attention. "A better understanding of the deficit could lead to the development of treatments with a focused target of action," says Ernst. "Currently the treatments of choice are stimulants, such as Ritalin, which enhance dopamine throughout the brain." These wide-ranging actions can cause side effects such as irritability, insomnia, or depression.
"Ernst's study is an exciting and potentially very significant finding regarding the neural basis of ADHD and its developmental progression," says ADHD expert B.J. Casey, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
In the study, the researchers analyzed the brains of 17 ADHD adults with positron emission tomography (PET). The PET images, which highlighted the activity of the dopamine-producing enzyme, DOPA decarboxylase, indicate that an abnormality in dopamine production occurs in only one of the dopamine-rich brain regions, the anterior frontal cortex. This region underlies motor activity and cognitive processes, including attention. "A better understanding of the deficit could lead to the development of treatments with a focused target of action," says Ernst. "Currently the treatments of choice are stimulants, such as Ritalin, which enhance dopamine throughout the brain." These wide-ranging actions can cause side effects such as irritability, insomnia, or depression.
Comments