ADHD Flashcards
(48 cards)
Working memory describes
what is actively being considered at any moment
Working memory is associated with
the prefrontal cortex and the parietal lobes
Working memory is modulated by the catecholamines:
dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE).
Why are adolescents so impulsive and prone to taking risks?
One possible explanation is that the frontal cortex has not yet matured
Problems with selective attention are believed to be linked to inefficient information processing in the
dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC)
problems with sustained attention are linked to inefficient information processing in the
dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).
Hyperactivity may be modulated by the
prefrontal motor cortex
impulsivity may be modulated by the
orbitofrontal cortex (OFC).
. Sustained attention is hypothetically modulated by
a cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) loop
Sustained attention is involves
involves the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) projecting to the striatal complex
Inefficient activation of this can lead to difficulty following through or finishing tasks, disorganization, and trouble sustaining mental effort?
DLPFC (Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex)
Inefficient activation of this can result in symptoms such as paying little attention to detail, making careless mistakes, not listening, losing things, being distracted, and forgetting things
dACC dorsal anterior cingulate cortex
Impulsivity is associated with?
a cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) loop that involves the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), the striatal complex, and the thalamus.
These are examples of what ADHD symptom? talking excessively, blurting things out, not waiting one’s turn, and interrupting.
Impulsivity
Motor activity, such as hyperactivity and psychomotor agitation or retardation, can be modulated by
a cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) loop from the prefrontal motor cortex to the putamen (lateral striatum) to the thalamus and back to the prefrontal motor cortex
If stimulation at alpha-2A and D1 receptors is too low, all incoming signals are the same, making
it difficult for a person to focus on one single task (unguided attention).
If stimulation is too high (right side) at alpha-2a and D1, incoming signals get jumbled as additional receptors are recruited, resulting
in the misdirection of attention.
ADHD is an out-of-tune
prefrontal cortex
Alterations within the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) are hypothesized to lead to
problems with impulsivity or hyperactivity.
Inadequate tuning of the DLPFC or the dACC can respectively lead to
sustained or selective attentive symptoms
aberrations in the dorsolateral cognitive network have been observed in children with problems of
sustained attention.
Salience-provoked phasic firing will lead to bursts of DA release, and when this happens in a controlled manner it can
reinforce learning and reward conditioning, which can provide the motivation to pursue naturally rewarding experiences
When the salience-provoked phasic firing that leads to bursts of DA release is hijacked
reward circuitry can be hijacked, and impulses are followed by the development of uncontrolled compulsions to seek drugs.
What are the two types of agents that will be hypothetically beneficial in patients with ADHD by bringing prefrontal activity back to optimal level.
Agents that can lead to (1) increased release of these two neurotransmitters, or (2) increased tonic firing of these neurons