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oo0shiny | 3 years ago

Do you have a source for this? From everything I've researched, it's actually a chemical imbalance that affects the management of dopamine in the brain, making it hard to focus.

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jnovek|3 years ago

You’re off by a little bit: it’s not a chemical imbalance but an actual neurological difference. ADHD develops when the brain is very young and results in permanent differences in cognition and executive function.

We do use dopamine (via stimulants) to treat it, though. We essentially flood the brain with excess dopamine and hope that it’s enough to overcome the deficits caused by developmental differences.

klysm|3 years ago

I think norepinephrine also plays a role

kayodelycaon|3 years ago

The chemical imbalance is one side-effect of the actual structural issues in the brain that cause ADHD.

This is why ADHD medication does not fix many secondary problems. (Examples include memory retrieval, time blindness, emotional regulation, etc)

peyton|3 years ago

I believe the more current thinking is that it’s a functional connectivity issue rather than a chemical imbalance, but nobody knows for certain.