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High-Resolution Brain SPECT Imaging in ADHD

  • Published:
Annals of Clinical Psychiatry

Abstract

Children and adolescents with ADHD were evaluated with high-resolution brain SPECT imaging to determine if there were similarities between reported PET and QEEG findings. Fifty-four children and adolescents with ADHD by DSM-III-R and Conners Rating Scale criteria were evaluated. A non-ADHD control group was also studied with SPECT. Two brain SPECT studies were done on each group, a resting study and an intellectual stress study done while participants were doing a concentration task. Sixty-five percent of the ADHD group revealed decreased perfusion in the prefrontal cortex with intellectual stress, compared to only 5% of the control group. These are findings consistent with PET and QEEG findings. Of the ADHD group who did not show decreased perfusion, two-thirds had markedly decreased activity in the prefrontal cortices at rest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Amen Clinic for Behavioral Medicine, Fairfield, California, 94585

    Daniel G. Amen & Blake D. Carmichael

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  1. Daniel G. Amen
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  2. Blake D. Carmichael
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Amen, D.G., Carmichael, B.D. High-Resolution Brain SPECT Imaging in ADHD. Ann Clin Psychiatry 9, 81–86 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026201218296

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026201218296

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