Abstract
In this study, we investigated whether availability of striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) may have an influence on the response of adult patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on methylphenidate (MPH). In 18 non–smoking and non–medicated adult patients with ADHD, availability of DAT was measured with [99mTc] TRODAT–1 SPECT. Then, the patients received methylphenidate (MPH), individually titrated up to 60 mg per day. Ten weeks later, clinical improvement was rated by Clinical Global Impressions scale. In all, 6 patients were classified as non–responders, and 12 responded to MPH. From the non–responders, 5 presented with a DAT availability below that of normal controls of the same age, whereas in the group of responders all patients had elevated DAT availability. There was a significant negative correlation between values for global clinical improvement and striatal DAT availability. In conclusion, ADHD patients with low DAT availability seem not to respond to therapy with MPH.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Al Younis ICH (2002) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: neuroimaging before and after treatment with methylphenidate in children. J Nucl Med 43(Suppl 5):347P
American Psychiatric Association (1994) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th Edition. American Psychiatric Association, Washington DC
Castellanos FX, Tannock R (2002) Neuroscience of attentiondeficit/ hyperactivity disorder: the search for endophenotypes. Nature Rev Neurosci 3:617–628
Cheon KA, Ryu YH, Kim JW, Cho DY (2005) The homozygosity for 10–repeat allele at dopamine transporter gene and dopamine transporter density in Korean children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: relating to treatment response to methylphenidate. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 15:95–101
Cheon K–A, Ryu YH, Kim Y–K, Namkoong K, Kim C–H, Lee JD (2003) Dopamine transporter availability in the basal ganglia assessed with [123I]IPT SPET in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Eur J Nucl Med 30:306–311
Dougherty DD, Bonab AA, Spencer TJ, Rauch SL, Madras BK, Fischman AJ (1999) Dopamine transporter availability in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Lancet 354:2132–2133
Dresel S, Krause J, Krause KH, LaFougere C, Brinkbaumer K, Kung HF, Hahn K, Tatsch K (2000) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: binding of [99mTc]TRODAT–1 to the dopamine transporter before and after methylphenidate treatment. Eur J Nucl Med 27:518–1524
Faraone SV, Perlis RH, Doyle AE, Smoller JW, Goralnick JJ, Holmgren MA, Sklar P (2005) Molecular genetics of attention–deficit/ hyperactivity disorder. Biol Psychiatry 57:1313–1323
Guy W (2000) Clinical Global Impressions Scale [CGI] (1976). In: American Psychiatric Association. Task Force for the Handbook of Psychiatric Measures (ed), Handbook of psychiatric measures. American Psychiatric Association, Washington DC, pp 100–102
Krause KH, Dresel SH, Krause J, Kung HF, Tatsch K (2000) Increased striatal dopamine transporter in adult patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: effects of methylphenidate as measured by single photon emission computed tomography. Neurosci Lett 285:107–110
Krause KH, Dresel SH, Krause J, Kung HF, Tatsch K, Ackenheil M (2002) Stimulant–like action of nicotine on striatal dopamine transporter in the brain of adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 5:111–113
Krause KH, Dresel SH, Krause J, la Fougere C, Ackenheil M (2003) The dopamine transporter and neuroimaging in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 27:605–613
Madras BK, Miller GM, Fischman AJ (2005) The dopamine transporter and attention–deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Biol Psychiatry 57:1397–1409
Mozley PD, Acton PD, Barraclough ED, Plossl K, Gur RC, Alavi A, Mathur A, Saffer J, Kung HF (1999) Effects of age on dopamine transporters in healthy humans. J Nucl Med 40:1812–1817
Retz W, Retz–Junginger P, Hengesch G, Schneider M, Thome J, Pajonk FG, Salahi–Disfan A, Rees O, Wender PH, Rösler M (2004) Psychometric and psychopathological characterization of young male prison inmates with and without attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 254:201–208
Rösler M, Retz W, Retz–Junginger P, Hengesch G, Schneider M, Supprian T, Schwitzgebel P, Pinhard K, Dovi–Akue N, Wender P, Thome J (2004) Prevalence of attention deficit–/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid disorders in young male prison inmates. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 254:365–371
Roman T, Szobot C, Martins S, Biederman J, Rohde LA, Hutz MH (2002) Dopamine transporter gene and response to methylphenidate in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Pharmacogenetics 12:497–499
Spencer T, Biederman J, Wilens T, Doyle R, Surman C, Prince J, Mick E, Aleardi M, Herzig K, Faraone S (2005) A large, doubleblind, randomized clinical trial of methylphenidate in the treatment of adults with attention–deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Biol Psychiatry 57:456–463
van Dyck CH, Quinlan DM, Cretella LM, Staley JK, Malison RT, Baldwin RM, Seibyl JP, Innis RB (2002) Unaltered dopamine transporter availability in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Am J Psychiatry 159:309–312
Volkow ND, Ding YS, Fowler JS, Wang GJ, Logan J, Gatley SJ, Hitzemann R, Smith G, Fields SD, Gur R (1996) Dopamine transporters decrease with age. J Nucl Med 37:554–559
Winsberg BG, Comings DE. Association of the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) with poor methylphenidate response (1999) J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 38:1474–1477
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Krause, J., la Fougere, C., Krause, KH. et al. Influence of striatal dopamine transporter availability on the response to methylphenidate in adult patients with ADHD. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 255, 428–431 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-005-0602-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-005-0602-x