Unaltered dopamine transporter availability in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
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.


METHODS
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.
van Dyck
Christopher H
CH
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, Cognitive Disorders Clinic, New Haven, CT 06510, USA. christopher.vandyck@yale.edu
Quinlan
Donald M
DM
Cretella
Lisa M
LM
Staley
Julie K
JK
Malison
Robert T
RT
Baldwin
Ronald M
RM
Seibyl
John P
JP
Innis
Robert B
RB
D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C069723:2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-iodophenyl)tropane; D003042:Cocaine