Alcohol: Can it cause ADD/ADHD?
Attention
deficit (hyperactivity) disorder may be the result of damage to part of an
unborn child's brain that is caused by a mother's alcohol intake during
pregnancy, according to a report published in "Alcoholism: Clinical &
Experimental Research."
The part of
the brain damaged before birth involves a complex communication system between
nerve cells. Led by Dr. Roh-Yu Shen, researchers examined the apparent
consequences of exposure before birth to alcohol in experimental rats. The
researchers found that the electrical activity of dopamine neurons in the brain
is
reduced in the offspring of pregnant rats exposed to alcohol. These neurons
release dopamine in brain areas responsible for attention.
The
researchers believe that attention/hyperactivity problems may be caused by the
reduced activity in the dopamine neurons. Dr. Shen noted that substances such
as cocaine and antipsychotic medications also reduce dopamine neuron activity
and events that disrupt dopamine neurons during fetal development, for example,
stress, could lead to dysfunction of these neurons and ADHD.
Source of
this article: http://www.parentsplace.com/pregnancy/
Penny Stern, MD, Reuters Health "Prenatal alcohol exposure linked to attention-deficit disorder" Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research 1999;23.
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