Neurobiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a clinically heterogeneous disorder of brain development involving numerous genetic and environmental risk factors. The aim of interdisciplinary and translational neurobiological research is to elucidate the reciprocal relationship between molecular mechanisms and structural-functional substrates in the pathogenesis of ADHD and their significance for the long-term course of the disorder. Investigation of ADHD-specific molecular-genetic and developmental-biological foundations of brain function, as well as structural-functional bases of behavior, holds promise for developing predictors and differential strategies for therapeutic modification of severe and chronic ADHD trajectories. To define evolutionarily conserved ADHD-relevant principles of brain function and structure and syndrome-typical behavior, an integrated approach is needed to elucidate specific neuro- and psychobiological mechanisms and thus the systemic pathophysiology of ADHD. Pathophysiological models of ADHD, and particularly its syndromal and comorbid dimensions, therefore require the combination of molecular-genetic, functional-imaging, neuropsychological, behavioral-biological, and psychosocial strategies to explain complete causal chains from the perspective of disturbed brain development.