Evaluating Dopamine Reward Pathway in ADHD

To evaluate biological bases that might underlie a reward/motivation deficit by imaging key components of the brain dopamine reward pathway (mesoaccumbens). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We used positron emission tomography to measure dopamine synaptic markers (transporters and D(2)/D(3) receptors) in 53 nonmedicated adults with ADHD and 44 healthy controls between 2001-2009 at Brookhaven National Laboratory. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We measured specific binding of positron emission tomographic radioligands for dopamine transporters (DAT) using [(11)C]cocaine and for D(2)/D(3) receptors using [(11)C]raclopride, quantified as binding potential (distribution volume ratio -1).

For both ligands, statistical parametric mapping showed that specific binding was lower in ADHD than in controls (threshold for significance set at P