ADHD Flashcards
which brain area’s are impaired in people with ADHD?
prefrontal cortex, cerebellum and caudate nucleus and corpus callosum.
(think about the c’s)
what are common ADHD symptoms
inattention, hyperactive and impulsivity
what brain technique could bring more insight to impaired brain regions of ADHD
meta-analysis : looking at the brain volumes of ADHD patients compared to healthy controls.
largest effect in the amygdala (emotional regulation problems)
what was found in the meta-analysis of ADHD patients
amygdala, accumbens, and hippocampus volumes
to be smaller in participants with ADHD than in healthy controls
What is the concept of brain maturation delay in ADHD patients?
Neuroimaging shows most pronounced effects in childhood + delayed peaks of subcortical volume maturation
They found that the development of the cortical surface is delayed in frontal brain regions in children with ADHD.
model of ADHD as a disorder of brain maturation delay
what is the heritability of ADHD
76%
Which genes/ genetic factors are associated with ADHD
weak connection with DAT and DRD4 gene. (3% phenotypic variation)
what are copy number variants
pieces of DNA that occur more often, these are common with ADHD patients
what are non-genetic factors associated with ADHD
lack of parental care
what are ADHD medications
- Ritalin (Methylphenidate)
2. (Dex)Amphetamine
What is the (working) mechanism of ADHD medications
ADHD medications increase the amount go dopamine
- block re-uptake of dopamine (DAT inhibitors)
- increase dopamine concentration in synaptic cleft.
a) what are different ADHD treatment options? (medication and therapy)
b) what is the efficacy of these treatment options
- COMB (medication + therapy)
- MED (intense medication)
- BT (therapy)
- standard medication
For most ADHD symptoms, children in COMB and MED showed significantly greater improvement than those given intensive BT and community care
did COMB and MED differ on core-ADHD symptoms?
no, but but COMB proved superior for non-ADHD symptoms.
what are the long-term effects of ADHD medication?
- growth-inhibition
2. substance abuse/dependence risk
what are the long-term effects on the brain area volumes (MRI) and functionality (fMRI)
No long-term effects, more longitudinal studies needed!
