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Dysfunction of the dopamine (DA) system has been proposed to explain some of the clinical manifestations of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a diagnostic concept describing children with inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.1
A complex interaction between DA and the endocannabinoid system (ECS) has been found experimentally,2 and the ECS has already been implicated in a number of DA-related disorders, such as schizophrenia, Parkinson disease, Huntington disease, and drug addiction.3 Of note, the association between ADHD and drug abuse has been described, as well as that between ADHD and abnormal activity of reward-related brain areas. These findings further suggest that the DA system and DA/ECS interaction might be altered in this disorder.1 Based on these premises, we investigated the possible alterations of anandamide (AEA) metabolism in ADHD. Notably, the endocannabinoid AEA reduces the activity of the DA transporter,4 and might therefore be implicated in the dysfunction of DA uptake mechanisms involved in ADHD pathophysiology.1
Methods.
The state of the ECS in blood samples has been repeatedly shown to mirror that of the CNS.3 Thus, to study AEA metabolism, we collected peripheral blood (12 mL) from 15 drug-free boys with ADHD (aged 6.5–13 years) and from 15 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers (aged 6.5–13 years). Patients were never exposed to any psychoactive medication before the blood withdrawal, whereas a psychostimulant treatment was initiated 1–4 months later in 7 patients, due to the failure of the psychological measures and the parent training adopted for all the cases.
The diagnosis of ADHD …
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