J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc.  2003 Jan;42(1):61-68.

Dopamine Transporter Density of the Basal Ganglia Assessed with [123I]IPT SPECT before and after Methylphenidate Treatment in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

• Cheon KA
• Ryu YH
• Namkoong K
• Kim CH
• Lee JD

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
ADHD has been known as psychiatric disorder in childhood associated with dopamine dysregulation. The symptoms of ADHD can be treated with methylphenidate, a potent blocker of the dopamine transporter (DAT). In present study, we investigated DAT density using I-123N-(3-iodopropen-2-yl)-2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-chlorophenyl) tropane ([123I]IPT SPECT) in children with ADHD before and after treatment with methylphenidate.
METHODS
Seven drug-naive children with ADHD and eight normal children were included in the study and performed SPECT 2 hours after an intravenous administration of [123I]IPT. All children with ADHD reperformed [123I]IPT SPECT after treatment with methylphenidate (0.7 mg/kg/d) during about 8 weeks. SPECT data reconstructed for the assessment of specific/ nonspecific DAT binding ratio of the basal ganglia were compared between before and after treatment methylphenidate. We investigated correlation between the change of ADHD symptom severity assessed with ADHD rating scale-IV and specific/ nonspecific DAT binding ratio of basal ganglia.
RESULTS
Children with ADHD had a significantly greater increase of specific/nonspecific DAT binding ratio of right basal ganglia than normal children (Right:z=2.085, p=0.037;Left:z=1.506, p=0.132). Under treatment with methylphenidate in all children with ADHD, specific/nonspecific DAT binding ratio of both basal ganglia decreased significantly greater than before treatment with methylphenidate (Right:t=3.239, p=0.018;Left:t=3.133, p=0.020). However, no significant correlation between the change of ADHD symptom severity scores and specific/nonspecific DAT binding ratio of the basal ganglia were found.
CONCLUSIONS
The data of this study using methylphenidate in children with ADHD support the complex dysregulation of the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system in children with ADHD.

Keyword

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Methylphenidate; [123I]IPT SPECT; Basal ganglia; Dopamine transporter density

MeSH Terms

Administration, Intravenous
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity*
Basal Ganglia*
Child*
Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins*
Dopamine*
Humans
Methylphenidate*
Neurotransmitter Agents
Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon*
Dopamine
Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
Methylphenidate
Neurotransmitter Agents