Stimulus-dependent Dopamine Release in Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder
Overview
Authors
Affiliations
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is related to an attenuated and dysfunctional dopamine system. Normally, a high extracellular dopamine level yields a tonic dopaminergic input that down-regulates stimuli-evoked phasic dopamine responses through autoreceptors. Abnormally low tonic extracellular dopamine in ADHD up-regulates the autoreceptors so that stimuli-evoked phasic dopamine is boosted. The authors propose that these boosted phasic responses yield hypersensitivity to environmental stimuli in ADHD. Stimuli evoking moderate brain arousal lead to well-functioning performance, whereas either too little or too much stimuli attenuate cognitive performance. Strong, salient stimuli may easily disrupt attention, whereas an environment with impoverished stimuli causes low arousal, which is typically compensated for by hyperactivity. Stochastic resonance is the phenomenon that makes a moderate noise facilitate stimulus discrimination and cognitive performance. Computational modeling shows that more noise is required for stochastic resonance to occur in dopamine-deprived neural systems in ADHD. This prediction is supported by empirical data.
Listening habits and subjective effects of background music in young adults with and without ADHD.
Lachance K, Pelland-Goulet P, Gosselin N Front Psychol. 2025; 15:1508181.
PMID: 39911190 PMC: 11797425. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1508181.
Exploring the Intersection of ADHD and Music: A Systematic Review.
Saville P, Kinney C, Heiderscheit A, Himmerich H Behav Sci (Basel). 2025; 15(1).
PMID: 39851869 PMC: 11762814. DOI: 10.3390/bs15010065.
Sensory white noise in clinical ADHD: Who benefits from noise, and who performs worse?.
Soderlund G, Hadjikhani N, Thorsson M, E-Said S, Claesdotter-Knutsson E, Gustafsson P Scand J Child Adolesc Psychiatr Psychol. 2024; 12(1):92-99.
PMID: 39583636 PMC: 11585357. DOI: 10.2478/sjcapp-2024-0010.
Sensory stimulation enhances visual working memory capacity.
Pileckyte I, Soto-Faraco S Commun Psychol. 2024; 2(1):109.
PMID: 39558084 PMC: 11574275. DOI: 10.1038/s44271-024-00158-6.
Comorbid ADHD and schizophrenia and the use of psychostimulants: a scoping review protocol.
Bamford J, Qurashi I, Axiaq A, Marwaha S, Husain N BMJ Open. 2024; 14(10):e090290.
PMID: 39448224 PMC: 11499803. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-090290.