Lack of Dopamine in Brain Could Be Cause of ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) continues to puzzle researchers as not everything is understood about the disorder and how to effectively treat it. Medications can go a long way toward helping to control symptoms, but a cure would be much more preferable.

However, Voice of America News reported that new research has identified a connection in the brain that could be responsible for causing ADHD. Previous studies in this area found differences in areas of the brain that control attention and hyperactivity.

According to Dr. Nora Volkow of the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, the inattention and impulsivity that are very common in individuals with ADHD could be the result of a disruption in the transmission of dopamine—a key mood regulator that helps cells communicate.

Dopamine acts as a neurotransmitter that is crucial to an individual’s ability to perceive rewards and to be motivated in behavior. If someone cannot perceive a reward, they may have trouble completing a task.

In a New York-based study, researchers compared the brain pathways that transmit dopamine in 53 ADHD adults to those of 44 adults without the disorder. Volkow noted that there was a lower concentration of dopamine markers in the brain of individuals with ADHD. This concentration was especially low in areas involved with reward and motivation.

The severity of the inattention in the ADHD patient is directly related to the disruption in the transmission of dopamine. Researchers involved in this study suggest that creating ways to make school and work assignments more rewarding for people with ADHD could improve their performance.

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