Involvement of the dopaminergic system has been suggested in patients suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) since the symptoms can be successfully treated with methylphenidate, a potent blocker of the dopamine transporter (DAT). This study reports the findings on the status of the DAT in adults with ADHD before and after commencement of treatment with methylphenidate, as measured using [99mTc]TRODAT-1. Seventeen patients (seven males, ten females, aged 21–64 years, mean 38 years) were examined before and after the initiation of methylphenidate treatment (3×5 mg/day). All subjects were injected with 800 MBq [99mTc]TRODAT-1 and imaged 3 h p.i. Single-photon emission tomography (SPET) scans were acquired using a triple-headed gamma camera. For semiquantitative evaluation of the DAT, transverse slices corrected for attenuation were used to calculate specific binding in the striatum, with the cerebellum used as background [(STR–BKG)/BKG]. Data were compared with an age-matched control group. It was found that untreated patients presented with a significantly increased specific binding of [99mTc]TRODAT-1 to the DAT as compared with normal controls [(STR–BKG)/BKG: 1.43±0.18 vs 1.22±0.06, P<0.001]. Under treatment with methylphenidate, specific binding decreased significantly in all patients [(STR–BKG)/BKG: 1.00±0.14, P<0.001]. Our findings suggest that the number of DAT binding sites is higher in drug-naive patients suffering from ADHD than in normal controls. The decrease in available DAT binding sites under treatment with methylphenidate correlates well with the improvement in clinical symptoms. The data of this study help to elucidate the complex dysregulation of the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system in patients suffering from ADHD and the effect of treatment with psychoactive drugs.
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Similar content being viewed by others Explore related subjectsDiscover the latest articles and news from researchers in related subjects, suggested using machine learning. Author information Authors and AffiliationsDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University of Munich, Germany
S. Dresel, C. LaFougere, K. Brinkbäumer, K. Hahn & K. Tatsch
Institute for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ottobrunn, Germany
J. Krause & K.-H. Krause
Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, USA
H.F. Kung
Received 15 April and in revised form 21 June 2000
Electronic Publication
About this article Cite this articleDresel, S., Krause, J., Krause, KH. et al. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: binding of [99mTc]TRODAT-1 to the dopamine transporter before and after methylphenidate treatment. Eur J Nucl Med 27, 1518–1524 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002590000330
Published: 09 August 2000
Issue Date: October 2000
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002590000330
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