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Adrenomedullary function during cognitive testing in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
G M Anderson1, M A Dover, B P Yang
1Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA. george.anderson@yale.edu
Summary
Boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) showed lower epinephrine excretion during cognitive tasks. This reduced adrenomedullary activity was linked to inattentive behaviors in children with ADHD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Child Psychology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Epinephrine (EPI) links to classroom performance and cognition.
- Sympathoadrenomedullary function may be altered in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Previous studies suggest decreased EPI excretion in ADHD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis of altered sympathoadrenomedullary function in ADHD.
- To examine sympathetic and adrenomedullary functioning during cognitive testing in boys with ADHD.
Main Methods:
- Assessed urinary EPI and norepinephrine excretion in boys aged 7-13 during a 3-hour cognitive test battery.
- Determined excretion rates in 200 individuals with ADHD (DSM-IV criteria) and 51 controls.
- Included participants with or without co-occurring oppositional defiant/conduct disorder or learning disorder.
Main Results:
- Significantly lower urinary EPI excretion was observed in the ADHD-inattentive subtype compared to controls.
- No diagnostic group differences were found for norepinephrine excretion.
- Inattention factors negatively predicted urinary EPI excretion in correlational analyses.
Conclusions:
- Findings support lower adrenomedullary activity during cognitive challenge in individuals with ADHD.
- The observed alteration in EPI excretion is associated with inattentive behavior in ADHD.