Abstract
We report an important new strategy in the investigation of the biology of ADD, the debrisoquin loading test. Debrisoquin, a unique monoamine oxidase inhibitor reduces the peripheral contribution to plasma catecholamine metabolites (HVA and MHPG, the principal metabolites of dopamine and norepinephrine, respectively), effectively minimizing the “noise” in the system, allowing central monoaminergic mechanisms to be more accurately examined. We studied the relationship between behaviors representing the cardinal symptoms of ADD and plasma monoamine metabolites in 5 boys with ADD (ages 7-14 years) before and after debrisoquin. Behavior was assessed by the Yale Children's Inventory (YCI) and a variety of cognitive and attentional tasks. Significant correlations were observed between plasma HVA and measures of impulsivity (YCI Impulsivity scale and Matching Familiar Figures Test), and plasma MHPG and measures of activity (YCI Activity scale) and attention (YCI Attention scale, Paired Associate Learning Test. Our findings suggest that dopaminergic systems influence those mechanisms responsible for impulsivity while noradrenergic systems relate to attention regulation and activity modulation.
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