Research
Evaluating Dopamine Reward Pathway in ADHD: Clinical Implications
Nora D. VolkowGene-Jack WangScott H. KollinsTim L. WigalJeffrey H. NewcornFrank TelangJoanna S. FowlerWei ZhuJean LoganYeming MaKith PradhanChristopher WongJames M. Swanson
PET imaging study measuring dopamine transporter and D2/D3 receptor availability in 53 unmedicated adults with ADHD versus 44 healthy controls. Found reduced dopamine markers in the brain's reward circuitry (nucleus accumbens, midbrain), and that this reduction correlated with self-reported inattention and motivation symptoms rather than with hyperactivity/impulsivity. One of the earliest and most-cited direct neuroimaging links between ADHD and a blunted reward pathway.
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