Posted by Phillipa on August 17, 2011, at 20:37:02
On the adhd news front. Phillipa
Potential New Therapeutic Target for ADHD Revealed
Megan BrooksAuthors and Disclosures
August 16, 2011 New research is providing scientists with a better understanding of how a specific dopamine receptor subtype in the brain may increase the risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The research, published online August 16 in Molecular Psychiatry, helps explain how stimulants work to calm ADHD symptoms and may point to a potential new target for the development of drugs for ADHD.
Dysfunction of the dopamine D4 receptor subtype has been linked to ADHD as well as other disorders characterized by decreased impulse control, including drug abuse.
In particular, the D4.7 variant of D4 has been consistently shown to be more common in patients with ADHD. However, the function of this particular variant in ADHD has been poorly understood.
A mouse study conducted by Sergi Ferre, MD, PhD, from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in Baltimore, Maryland, and colleagues showed that the D4.7 variant was not able to interact with the short version of the dopamine type 2 (D2S) receptor to reduce glutamate release in a brain region associated with ADHD symptoms in humans.
"Although previous studies have shown that dysfunctional dopamine D4 receptors are implicated in ADHD, this is the first study to show how this genetic difference might translate into functional deficits seen with this disorder," NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow, MD, who worked on the study, added in a statement.
"Further research is needed to explore how this deficient interaction between receptors might be remedied, which could then lead to new medications for the treatment of ADHD," Dr. Volkow added.
The researchers note their observations may also explain "at least part of the so far not understood successful effect of psychostimulants in ADHD."
The current research, Dr. Ferre explained, "suggests that psychostimulants might reduce glutamate release by amplifying this D4/D2S interaction. These results might also explain why these medications are less efficient in patients with the D4.7 variant."
The study was supported in part by the NIDA's Intramural Research Program. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Mol Psychiatry. Published online August 16, 2011.
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