This Week in The Journal

Research suggests that a main symptom of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disinclination to exert effort, even in the pursuit of a reward. However, the extent to which those with ADHD endure this impairment is not well known. Furthermore, whether the primary treatment for ADHD, a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of neuroscience 2023-10, Vol.43 (41), p.6831-6831
Main Author: Mckeon, Paige
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amphetamines
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Cognitive ability
Hyperactivity
Motivation
This Week in The Journal
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Summary:Research suggests that a main symptom of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disinclination to exert effort, even in the pursuit of a reward. However, the extent to which those with ADHD endure this impairment is not well known. Furthermore, whether the primary treatment for ADHD, amphetamine-based pharmaceuticals, improves diminished motivation is unknown. Chong et al measured the amount of cognitive and physical effort that 20 individuals with ADHD on and off people in a control group. They found that untreated individuals with ADHD had diminished motivation compared to control subjects, but amphetamine-based treatment increased the amount of cognitive and physical effort those with ADHD were willing to exert. Notably, treatment was so effective that most individuals with ADHD were motivated to a similar extent as those in the control group. These findings confirm that motivational deficit is a core trait of ADHD and demonstrate that it may be effectively targeted by the primary approved treatment for ADHD. Furthermore this work may inform future investigations into whether amphetamine-based treatments are effective for other disorders in which diminished motivation is a symptom.
ISSN:0270-6474
1529-2401
DOI:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.twij.43.41.2023