PLASMA-CATECHOLAMINE METABOLITE LEVELS IN ADHD BOYS WITH AND WITHOUT READING DISABILITIES

Citation
Jm. Halperin et al., PLASMA-CATECHOLAMINE METABOLITE LEVELS IN ADHD BOYS WITH AND WITHOUT READING DISABILITIES, Journal of clinical child psychology, 22(2), 1993, pp. 219-225
Citations number
46
Categorie Soggetti
Psycology, Clinical","Psychology, Developmental
ISSN journal
0047228X
Volume
22
Issue
2
Year of publication
1993
Pages
219 - 225
Database
ISI
SICI code
0047-228X(1993)22:2<219:PMLIAB>2.0.ZU;2-T
Abstract
Examined plasma catecholamine metabolite levels in 24 boys with attent ion-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who were divided into suhgro ups based on the presence or absence of reading disabilities. The read ing-disabled ADHD group had a significantly (p < .01) higher level of plasma 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl-glycol (MHPG), the metabolite of nore pinephrine, but the groups did not differ on the dopamine metabolite h omovanillic acid (HVA). Furthermore, MHPG levels were correlated with measures of reading and spelling ability such that high MHPG was assoc iated with poor academic achievement. These findings suggest that a fr uitful approach to understanding the neural substrates of ADHD may be to focus on homogeneous subgroups defined according to individual symp tom dimensions.