Further evidence of dopamine transporter dysregulation in ADHD: a controlled PET imaging study using altropane.
BACKGROUND
The dopamine transporter (DAT) is known to be a key regulator of dopamine, and recent studies of genetics, treatment, and imaging have highlighted the role of DAT in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The findings of in vivo neuroimaging of DAT in ADHD have been somewhat discrepant, however.


METHODS
Dopamine transporter binding was measured using a highly selective ligand (C-11 altropane) and positron emission tomography (PET). The sample consisted of 47 well-characterized, treatment-naïve, nonsmoking, non-comorbid adults with and without ADHD. Additionally, control subjects had few symptoms of ADHD.


RESULTS
Results showed significantly increased DAT binding in the right caudate in adults with ADHD compared with matched control subjects without this disorder.


CONCLUSIONS
These results confirm abnormal DAT binding in the striatum of adults with ADHD and provide further support that dysregulation of DAT may be an important component of the pathophysiology of ADHD.
Spencer
Thomas J
TJ
Pediatric Psychopharmacology Unit, Psychiatry Service Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. tspencer@partners.org
Biederman
Joseph
J
Madras
Bertha K
BK
Dougherty
Darin D
DD
Bonab
Ali A
AA
Livni
Elijahu
E
Meltzer
Peter C
PC
Martin
Jessica
J
Rauch
Scott
S
Fischman
Alan J
AJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography
D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; C102282:N-iodoallyl-2-carbomethoxy-3-(4-fluorophenyl)tropane; D003042:Cocaine