Background
We examined the effect of prolonged methylphenidate (MPH) treatment on the functional
neuroanatomy of executive functioning in adult men with attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD).
Methods
Positron emission tomography with [15O] water measured alterations of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during the Paced
Auditory Serial Addition Task and a control task in 10 ADHD and 11 normal control
men. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder men were imaged unmedicated and after
a clinically optimal dose of MPH for 3 weeks.
Results
Methylphenidate improved ADHD task performance, reduced rCBF in the prefrontal cortex
(PFC), and increased rCBF in the right thalamus and precentral gyrus. Comparisons
between the ADHD and normal control groups showed that normal control participants
exhibited greater anterior cingulate cortex and temporal gyrus rCBF than ADHD participants
under both conditions. Executive functioning was associated with greater subcortical
(basal ganglia and cerebellar vermis) activation in the ADHD than normal control group
under both conditions.
Conclusions
Methylphenidate does not normalize task-related activity in ADHD. Task-related rCBF
decreases in the PFC may be due to improved filtering out of task-irrelevant stimuli
by way of MPH-mediated dopamine release in the PFC.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 24, 2004
Accepted:
July 13,
2004
Received in revised form:
July 8,
2004
Received:
December 30,
2003
Identification
Copyright
© 2004 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
