ADHD brains are wired differently

adhd awareness monthADHD Awareness Month 2023

2 Oct

ADHD is not a behavioural condition. Yup, I said it.

When people think of ADHD they might imagine - kids who are bouncy and hyperactive; adults who are dreamy and forgetful, leaving things behind. We think of the outside signs that other people can see. The problem is that ADHD is not a behavioral condition; it's a neurological one. In the past, there’s been a lot of focus on what other people can see and what we do - but the real impact of ADHD is on how our brains connect and function.

Wait, isn’t ADHD all about what people do - or can’t do?

When people think of ADHD they might imagine - kids who are bouncy and hyperactive; adults who are dreamy and forgetful, leaving things behind. We think of the outside signs that other people can see. The problem is that ADHD is not a behavioral condition; it's a neurological one. In the past, there’s been a lot of focus on what other people can see and what we do - but the real impact of ADHD is on how our brains connect and function.

Brains with ADHD are wired differently, affecting everything from attention span to impulse control. Let's start looking at these physiological differences.

The Dopamine Factor

One of the key neurotransmitters - but not the only one - involved in ADHD, is dopamine. It has a crucial role in attention and reward systems. Research shows that people with ADHD often have lower levels of dopamine, which can lead to difficulties in maintaining focus and regulating mood. There are lots of popular beliefs about ‘hacking’ dopamine and some of them are true - but they don’t usually focus on ADHD brains, instead creating strategies that increase or regulate dopamine for ‘typical’ brains.*

More Transporter Cells

Image copyright Open University - see below for free course link.

Interestingly, ADHD brains also have more dopamine transporter cells. You can imagine them working like tiny ‘hoovers’ sucking up the available dopamine more quickly. These cells work to remove dopamine from the synaptic cleft, which can make dopamine levels even lower, making it harder to feel motivated, manage our impulsive thoughts and actions as well as get our attention on the task we need to work on.

Implications

Growing our scientific understanding of these physiological differences can lead to more targeted treatments and constructing useful strategies. It also helps to remove the stigma that ADHD is somehow a "made-up" condition or a result of laziness. Most importantly, it helps to shift the understanding of ADHD from a ‘behaviour’ - what people can see - to ‘cognitive’ - how our brains work and function.

*typical/neurotypical - I don’t actually find these very helpful words and I don’t think we need to increase the us/them divide. I DO think that right now most people aren’t ready for that conversation. We do need to start having it though.

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Warmly,

Katherine