Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: neurophysiology, information processing, arousal and drug development
Donald L Rowe1, Daniel F Hermens
1The Brain Dynamics Centre and Department of Psychological Medicine, Westmead Hospital and University of Sydney, NSW, Australia. donrowe@med.usyd.edu.au
Abstract:
In this review, we draw on literature from both animal and human neurophysiological studies to consider the neurochemical mechanisms underlying attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Psychophysiological and neuropsychological research is used to propose possible etiological endophenotypes of ADHD. These are conceptualized as patients with distinct cortical-arousal, information-processing or maturational abnormalities, or a combination thereof, and how the endophenotypes can be used to help drug development and optimize treatment and management. To illustrate, the paper focuses on neuro- and psychophysiological evidence that suggests cholinergic mechanisms may underlie specific information-processing abnormalities that occur in ADHD. The clinical implications for a cholinergic hypothesis of ADHD are considered, along with its possible implications for treatment and pharmacological development.
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