Availability of Striatal Dopamine Transporter in Healthy Individuals With and Without a Family History of ADHD

J Atten Disord. 2019 May;23(7):665-670. doi: 10.1177/1087054716654570. Epub 2016 Jul 7.

Abstract

Objective: ADHD is the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder. It is highly heritable and multifactorial, but the definitive causes remain unknown. Abnormal dopamine transporter (DAT) availability has been reported, but the data are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to examine whether DAT availability differs between healthy parents with and without ADHD offspring.

Method: Eleven healthy parents with ADHD offspring and 11 age- and sex-matched healthy controls without ADHD offspring were recruited. The availability of DAT was approximated using single-photon emission computed tomography, with [99mTc] TRODAT-1 as the ligand.

Results: DAT availability in the basal ganglia, caudate nucleus, and putamen was significantly lower in the parents with ADHD offspring than in the healthy controls without ADHD offspring.

Conclusion: The results suggest that ADHD could be heritable via abnormal DAT activities.

Keywords: ADHD; ADHD family; SPECT; TRODAT; dopamine transporter.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity*
  • Basal Ganglia / diagnostic imaging
  • Basal Ganglia / metabolism
  • Caudate Nucleus / diagnostic imaging
  • Caudate Nucleus / metabolism
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / analysis*
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism
  • Female
  • Healthy Volunteers
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Medical History Taking*
  • Middle Aged
  • Organotechnetium Compounds / metabolism
  • Parents*
  • Putamen / diagnostic imaging
  • Putamen / metabolism
  • Radiopharmaceuticals / metabolism
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / methods
  • Tropanes / metabolism

Substances

  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Organotechnetium Compounds
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • SLC6A3 protein, human
  • Tropanes