Neurobiology of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

• Published in: Pediatric research Vol. 69; no. 8; pp. 69 - 76
• Main Authors: Purper-Ouakil, Diane, Ramoz, Nicolas, Lepagnol-Bestel, Aude-Marie, Gorwood, Philip, Simonneau, Michel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01.05.2011
• Subjects: 631/80/304; 692/308; 692/699/476/1311; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - drug therapy; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - genetics; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - pathology; Brain - pathology; Genome-Wide Association Study; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; neuropsychiatric-disorders-and-pediatric-psychiatry; Pediatric Surgery; Pediatrics; Phenotype
• ISSN: 0031-3998; 1530-0447
• DOI: 10.1203/PDR.0b013e318212b40f

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder, has been associated with various structural and functional CNS abnormalities but findings about neurobiological mechanisms linking genes to brain phenotypes are just beginning to emerge. Despite the high heritability of the disorder and its main symptom dimensions, common individual genetic variants are likely to account for a small proportion of the phenotype's variance. Recent findings have drawn attention to the involvement of rare genetic variants in the pathophysiology of ADHD, some being shared with other neurodevelopmental disorders. Traditionally, neurobiological research on ADHD has focused on catecholaminergic pathways, the main target of pharmacological treatments. However, more distal and basic neuronal processes in relation with cell architecture and function might also play a role, possibly accounting for the coexistence of both diffuse and specific alterations of brain structure and activation patterns. This article aims to provide an overview of recent findings in the rapidly evolving field of ADHD neurobiology with a focus on novel strategies regarding pathophysiological analyses.