Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has often been called a disorder of low dopamine.
However, in reality, the relationship between dopamine and ADHD symptoms is more complex.
Dopamine is one neurotransmitter that plays a role in ADHD symptoms.
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Dopamine helps control a wide range of bodily functions, including memory, movement, and sleep.
Dopamine dysfunction can make people with ADHD particularly sensitive to stimuli that lead to dopamine release (e.g.
exercise or sugar consumption).
Dopamine transporters are proteins that regulate the action of dopamine by prolonging or terminating the action of the neurotransmitter.
The abnormalities in dopamine transporters vary with age and are impacted by medication.
Dopamine dysfunction in ADHD is associated with a change in the dopamine transporter gene.
Transporters for serotonin, norepinephrine, and epinephrine may have irregularities in people with ADHD.
ADHD Treatment
The treatments used for managing ADHD include behavioral therapy, counseling, and medications.
Many children and adults benefit from using strategies to stay organized and on task.
Stimulants used to treatADHDinclude:
Like all medications, stimulants can cause side effects.
These include sleep issues or low appetite.
Researchers have linked ADHD to dopamine dysfunction in the brain.
The most-used treatments for ADHD affect dopamine levels.
Studies have shown changes in dopamine levels in some brain regions of people with ADHD.
There is also evidence that alterations in serotonin, epinephrine, and norepinephrine may have an effect as well.
Research about the biochemical changes and structural brain changes in ADHD is ongoing.
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