Neurotransmitters, the signaling molecules of brain function, are one of the factors that must be included when evaluating and treating pediatric disorders of learning, behavior and development. A paper published in the journal Biological Psychiatry offers an overview in the context of ADHD:

“The etiology of ADHD has not been clearly identified, although evidence supports neurobiologic and genetic origins. Structural and functional imaging studies suggest that dysfunction in the fronto-subcortical pathways, as well as imbalances in the dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems, contribute to the pathophysiology of ADHD.”

Moreover, from the remedial perspective:

“Medication with dopaminergic and noradrenergic activity seems to reduce ADHD symptoms by blocking dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake. Such alterations in dopaminergic and noradrenergic function are apparently necessary for the clinical efficacy of pharmacologic treatments of ADHD.”

Another paper in the same issue discusses the neuropsychopharmacology of ADHD:

“Stimulants, a principle treatment for the disorder, act on the norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) systems; this has led to a long-standing hypothesis of catecholamine dysfunction in ADHD…Nonstimulant agents that are effective in the treatment of ADHD tend to affect the NE system, whereas those affecting only DA, or those that affect neither catecholamine, are less potent in reducing ADHD symptoms…Imaging studies suggest stimulants increases DA levels in the brain…”

The author sums up his findings by stating:

“…ADHD therapy may modify activity in the NE and DA systems to a more optimal level, thus improving responses to environmental stimuli and enhancing working memory and executive function.”

The authors of another paper in the same issue of Biological Psychiatry address the role of the catecholamine neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine in prefrontal executive functions:

“The prefrontal cortex guides behaviors, thoughts, and feelings using representational knowledge, i.e., working memory. These fundamental cognitive abilities subserve the so-called executive functions: the ability to inhibit inappropriate behaviors and thoughts, regulate our attention, monitor our actions, and plan and organize for the future. Neuropsychological and imaging studies indicate that these prefrontal cortex functions are weaker in patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and contribute substantially to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptomology.”

They describe further evidence for the importance of the catecholamine neurotransmitters in ADHD:

“Optimal levels of norepinephrine acting at postsynaptic α-2A-adrenoceptors and dopamine acting at D1 receptors are essential to prefrontal cortex function. Blockade of norepinephrine α-2-adrenoceptors in prefrontal cortex markedly impairs prefrontal cortex function and mimics most of the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, including impulsivity and locomotor hyperactivity.”

The authors conclude by stating:

“Most effective treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder facilitate catecholamine transmission and likely have their therapeutic actions by optimizing catecholamine actions in prefrontal cortex.”

Interesting research published in the journal Sleep reveals a link between intermittent hypoxic insults (short periods of suboptimal oxygen levels) and dopamine dysregulation. The authors tested…

“…the hypothesis that intermittent hypoxic insults, occurring during this period of critical brain development, lead to persistent reductions in extracellular levels of dopamine within the striatum. We also tested the hypothesis that post-hypoxic rats exhibit increased novelty-induced behavioral activation and increased basal levels of locomotor activity, two indexes of impaired dopaminergic functioning.”

Behavior of their postnatal animals was recorded and correlated with dopamine measurements after intermittent bursts of hypoxic (oxygen-reduced) gas. They demonstrated heightened response to novelty, locomotor hyperactivity and reduced extracellular dopamine. This brings to mind an earlier post on oxygen and disorders of learning and behavior. What did the authors conclude from their data?

“These data, in conjunction with our previous observations, support our hypothesis that intermittent hypoxic insults occurring during a period of critical brain development lead to sequestration of dopamine presynaptically within nigrostriatal axons. We postulate that neonatally occurring hypoxic insults are one potential pathogenic mechanism underlying disorders of minimal brain dysfunction, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, characterized by executive dysfunction and hyper responsiveness to novel stimuli, which is responsive to agents promoting enhanced extracellular levels of synaptic dopamine.”

More nuanced evidence for the importance of neurotransmitters in ADHD is presented in a paper published in the journal Progress in Brain Research that highlights dopamine-serotonin interactions.

“Poor control of attention-related and motor processes, often associated with behavioural or cognitive impulsivity, are typical features of children and adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Until recently clinicians have observed little need to improve on or add to the catecholaminergic model for explaining the features of ADHD. Recent genetic and neuroimaging studies however provide evidence for separate contributions of altered dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) function in this disorder.”

Their findings are an excellent example of the importance of considering each child as an individual and avoiding the regrettable tendency to ‘rubber-stamp’ a diagnosis and associated treatment—in this case stimulants or re-uptake inhibitors:

“While the monoamine metabolite levels excreted in ADHD are often correlated, this may well flow from a starting point where 5-HT activity is anomalously higher or lower than the generally lower than normal levels for DA. It appears that perhaps both situations may arise reflecting different diagnostic subgroups of ADHD, and where impulsive characteristics of the subjects reflect externalizing behaviour or cognitive impulsivity…Interactions mediated by macroglia are also likely. However, it remains difficult to ascribe specific mechanisms to their effects (in potentially different subgroups of patients)…”

Moreover, there are individual differences in the receptors for dopamine that come into play with ADHD. In a study published in Archives of General Psychiatry the authors examine polymorphisms in dopamine receptors.

“Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most heritable neuropsychiatric disorders, and a polymorphism within the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) gene has been frequently implicated in its pathogenesis.”

They investigated polymorphisms (gene variants) for both the dopamine D1 receptor (DRD1) gene and the dopamine transporter (DAT1) gene in 105 children with ADHD in comparison with 103 healthy controls, and used cerebral cortical thickness and the presence of DSM-IV–defined ADHD as metrics. The data painted an interesting picture:

“Possession of the DRD4 7-repeat allele was associated with a thinner right orbitofrontal/inferior prefrontal and posterior parietal cortex. This overlapped with regions that were generally thinner in subjects with ADHD compared with controls…By contrast, there were no significant effects of the DRD1 or DAT1 polymorphisms on clinical outcome or cortical development.”

The authors sum up the significance of their findings:

“The DRD4 7-repeat allele, which is widely associated with a diagnosis of ADHD, and in our cohort with better clinical outcome, is associated with cortical thinning in regions important in attentional control. This regional thinning is most apparent in childhood and largely resolves during adolescence.”

In other words, there are genetic differences in the dopamine receptor and transport systems that can manifest as brain thinning and problems with attention.

The practical message is that children (and adults) with disorders of learning and behavior should be evaluated as individuals for problems with neurotransmitter production, transport and receptor populations. The functional approach prefers physiological interventions to supply depleted or insufficient resources for intrinsic neurotransmitter production and receptor maintenance, strategies to protect receptors and transporters from inflammatory damage due to autoimmune microglial activation, and related physiological treatment methods.