The Archives of General psychiatry published this month a report which concludes that Dopamine levels were found to be lower in a test group of ADHD adults than in a control group of those not afflicted with ADHD. You can read the report by visiting the Archives web site and the report name is Polymorphisms of the Dopamine D4 Receptor, Clinical Outcome, and Cortical Structure in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Here is the link:
http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/current.dtl
Dopamine has already been considered part of the problems with Adders. Reading about and learning more about Dopamine it is easier to understand why this brain chemical can have such a profound effect. Dopamine regulates pleasure feelings in the brain and also helps regulate mood and motivation. Since us Adders have lower levels it becomes even more understandable why it takes a higher degree to provide us with attractive stimuli and keep us interested. We become interested in things which provide Dopamine boosts within our brains. To read more about Dopamine I am including the following links on Adder World:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopamine#Motivation_and_pleasure
http://health.msn.com/centers/adhd/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100167402>1=10316
With research identifying specific causes of ADD/HD there is hope for new medication. What’s also important is that parents will start taking ADD/HD more seriously. Don’t get me wrong, there are parents who already take ADD/HD seriously and seek help for their child. However, there are parents confused by the social stigma of ADD/HD and the conflicting side of the argument which iterates that ADD/HD does not really exist. Research will have the final answer and is already providing much needed support to the fact that ADD/HD is a real disease and people are sincerely afflicted. When I grew up the situation concerning ADD/HD was much shoddier and although I displayed all of the symptoms I wasn’t given the benefit of the doubt. Thankfully, today that is different for children around the world and it continues to get better thanks to research.
~Bryan
