Drug therapies for attentional disorders alter the signal-to-noise ratio in the superior colliculus

Dommett, E. J.; Overton, P. G. and Greenfield, S. A. (2009). Drug therapies for attentional disorders alter the signal-to-noise ratio in the superior colliculus. Neuroscience, 164(3), pp. 1369–1376.

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DOI (Digital Object Identifier) Link:	http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.09.007
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Abstract

Despite high levels of use, the mechanism of action of effective pharmacotherapies in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is unknown. It has recently been hypothesized that one site of therapeutic action is the midbrain superior colliculus, a structure traditionally associated with visual processing, but also strongly implicated in distractibility, a core symptom of ADHD. We used male juvenile Wistar rats to examine the effects of therapeutically relevant doses of methylphenidate and d-amphetamine on collicular activity in vitro. Here we report a novel shared mechanism of the two drugs whereby they enhance the signal-to-noise ratio in the superior colliculus. The effects on the signal-to-noise ratio were mediated by serotonin (5-HT) via a pre-synaptic mechanism. This modulatory action would bias the system towards salient events and lead to an overall decrease in distractibility.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Copyright Holders:	2009 Elsevier Ltd
ISSN:	0306-4522
Keywords:	attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; superior colliculus; methylphenidate; d-amphetamine
Academic Unit/Department:	Science > Life, Health and Chemical Sciences
Item ID:	18454
Depositing User:	Colin Smith
Date Deposited:	18 Sep 2009 09:23
Last Modified:	20 Nov 2012 15:07
URI:	http://oro.open.ac.uk/id/eprint/18454

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