Neurobiology

Question 1

MRI studies show that people with ADHD have low thickness of what in which region of the brain?

Answer 1

Cortical thickness in the prefrontal cortex region

Question 2

Prefrontal cortex is responsible for what functions

Answer 2

Executive function, attention and impulsivity

Question 3

Long-term stimulant use in adults has shown what changes

Answer 3

Increased cortical thickness in the pre-frontal cortex

Shaw at all 2009 and Burgaleta et al 2014

Question 4

Which parts of the striatum are smaller in people with ADHD? And how do stimulants affect it?

Answer 4

Caudate nucleus and Putamen and this affects motor control and reinforcement learning. Long-term stimulant treatment increases volume in these regions, particularly in children.

Frodl 2012

Wang et al 2013 AJP showed that methylphenidate increased dopamine transporter levels in the striatum suggesting long-term adaptive effects

Question 5

ADHD is associated with weaker White matter connectivity in which pathways

Answer 5

In pathways linking prefrontal cortex and other regions such as corpus callosum and fronto striatal circuits

Nagel et al 2019 JAMA

Question 6

Volkow et al 2012JAMA

Answer 6

Long-term mph use increased dopamine transporter density

Question 7

What is the effect of stimulant use in terms of adaptability between children and adults

Answer 7

Children, there are more structural changes as brain is still developing well in adults that are more functional improvements

Question 8

Cortese et al 2018 on atomoxetine

Answer 8

Atmx improved connectivity in the default mode network