US researchers have pinned down new differences in the brain chemistry of people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
They found ADHD patients lack key proteins which allow them to experience a sense of reward and motivation.
The Brookhaven National Laboratory study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
It is hoped it could help in the design of new ways to combat the condition.
Previous research looking at the brains of people with ADHD had uncovered differences in areas controlling attention and hyperactivity.
But this study suggests ADHD has a profound impact elsewhere in the brain too.
Researcher Dr Nora Volkow said: "These deficits in the brain's reward system may help explain clinical symptoms of ADHD, including inattention and reduced motivation, as well as the propensity for complications such as drug abuse and obesity among ADHD patients."
The researchers compared brain scans of 53 adult ADHD patients who had never received treatment with those from 44 people who did not have the condition. Read more...
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