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Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Function Modulates Impulsivity in ADHD: Clinical Implications |
Sunday, May 26, 2013 |
9:00 AM–9:50 AM |
Auditorium Room 1 (Convention Center) |
Area: EAB; Domain: Applied Research |
Instruction Level: Intermediate |
CE Instructor: Alexandra S Potter, Ph.D. |
Chair: Federico Sanabria (Arizona State University) |
ALEXANDRA S. POTTER (University of Vermont) |
Dr. Alexandra Potter is a research assistant professor and the associate director of the Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit at the University of Vermont. Dr. Potter received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Vermont in 2003, and accepted a faculty position at the University of Vermont in 2004 after completing her clinical internship. She is a licensed clinical psychologist who maintains a small practice working with children and families with developmental disabilities in addition to her research. Her research program is focused on understanding the role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor function in complex behaviors such as impulsive responding. She currently uses methodologies including acute pharmacological challenge and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) either alone or in combination to explore the underlying neurobiology of impulsivity in a variety of subject groups including adolescents and adults with ADHD, patients with Parkinson's disease, young adults with prodromal schizophrenia, and cigarette smokers. This basic approach uses well defined behavioral phenotypes (such as impulsive responding, or high risk taking) that can be precisely measured to understand their relationship with both clinical behaviors and cortical circuitry. |
Abstract: Background: Impulsivity is a central behavioral feature of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and many other psychiatric and substance use disorders. In recent years, the multi-dimensional nature of impulsivity has been recognized with cognitive processes including risk and reward evaluation, response inhibition, and delay discounting implicated in impulsive behavior. The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) system has long been recognized for its role in regulating attention. Understanding the role of nAChR function in impulsivity has widespread clinical implication including providing a novel pharmacological treatment target. Methods: Data from human experiments using pharmacological manipulations of nAChR function and measuring response inhibition, risk taking and delay discounting will be presented. Studies using acute pharmacological challenge in combination with fMRI will illustrate potential mechanisms for nAChR regulation of impulsivity. Results: Acute nicotine and novel nicotinic agonists improve response inhibition and delay aversion in ADHD. Nicotine and mecamylamine (a nicotinic antagonist) have rate dependent effects on risk taking regardless of diagnostic group. Both nicotine and a novel nicotinic agonist significantly decrease the cognitive and clinical symptoms of ADHD. Conclusion: Targeting nAChR function may provide a novel treatment target for ADHD and other disorders involving impulsive behavior. The use of reliable laboratory measures of different facets of impulsivity will allow for refined treatment strategies targeting precise cognitive mechanism related to impulsivity. |
Target Audience: Graduate students, practitioners, and scientists in psychology and mental health. |
Learning Objectives: 1. At the conclusion of this talk, participants will be able to identify different cognitive mechanisms that underlie impulsive behavior in ADHD. 2. At the conclusion of this talk, participants will be able to discuss how nicotinic acetylcholine receptor function affects impulsive behavior in normal development and psychiatric disorders. |
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