Unaltered dopamine transporter availability in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Am J Psychiatry. 2002 Feb;159(2):309-12. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.159.2.309.

Abstract

Objective: The authors examined whether patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have altered striatal dopamine transporter levels, which may explain psychostimulant effects in this disorder.

Method: Single photon emission computed tomography and [(123)I]2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-iodophenyl)tropane ([(123)I]beta-CIT) were used to assess dopamine transporter availability in nine adult patients with ADHD (eight of whom were stimulant naive) and nine age- and gender-matched healthy comparison subjects.

Results: Striatal [(123)I]beta-CIT binding did not differ significantly between the ADHD and comparison subjects.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that a hypothesized dysregulation of dopamine function in ADHD does not entail altered dopamine transporter levels.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / diagnostic imaging
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / physiopathology*
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / psychology
  • Cocaine / analogs & derivatives
  • Cocaine / pharmacokinetics
  • Corpus Striatum / diagnostic imaging
  • Corpus Striatum / physiopathology*
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Iodine Radioisotopes
  • Male
  • Membrane Glycoproteins*
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / physiology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins*
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*

Substances

  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Iodine Radioisotopes
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • 2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-iodophenyl)tropane
  • Cocaine