For
the off MPH scans, ADD subjects went off medication for 36 hours prior
to the scan and for MPH scans, ADD patients took their regular dose
(7.5 - 30 mg) of MPH 2.0-2.5 hr before the scan and control subjects
were given 10 mg doses of MPH in the same time frame. Scans were
performed on the frontal lobes and two striatal structures, the head of
the caudate nucleus and the anterior portion of the putamen.
The results of the study are summarized below. As one can
As one can clearly see from the data and scans, there are observable
differences between ADD and non-ADD subjects. Of particular note is the
increase in brain activation for the ADD subjects on the medication and
the seeming decrease in brain activation for non-ADD subjects on the
medication. This suggests that non-ADD persons might actually
suffer from the use of stimulant medications.
Obviously much more research is need but this study
certainly shows promise for the use of fMRI in diagnosing ADD and ADHD.