KFO 125:  Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Syndrome (ADHD): Molecular Pathogenesis and Endophenotypes in the Course of Treatment

• Subject Area: Medicine
• Term: from 2004 to 2011
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5397423

The molecular pathogenesis of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Syndrome (ADHD), which is also called Hyperkinetic Syndrome, and the significance of its endophenotypes for the course of illness is both clinically and health politically a highly relevant but largely unsolved problem. The Clinical Research Group, as a mutual facility of the Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (KJPP) and Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (EPP), deals with the interdependent relationships between the molecular and functional-structural mechanisms of the pathogenesis of ADHD and its significance for its long-term course using interdisciplinary research strategies. The aims are as follows:
-- By joining preclinical and clinically oriented research groups, who work on ADHD-specific molecular mechanisms of nerve cell function as well as molecular genetic and developmental biological essentials of brain function, and on structural-functional basics of the complex behaviour of ADHD, predictors and differential strategies for therapy during the long-term course of illness will be developed.
-- Evolutionary conserved ADHD-relevant principles of structure and function of the brain as well as syndrome-typical behaviour (e.g. hyperactivity, attention deficit, impulsivity, aggression, substance abuse) will be defined by comparative investigations of different species (humans, nonhuman primates, mice).
-- The preexisting areas of convergence between the fields of neuropsychology, psychobiology as well as child and adolescent psychiatry and adult psychiatry will strengthen the connections between the individual disciplines by establishing new research groups, who will investigate common topics. In that new opportunities for the study of the molecular foundations in the etipathogenesis and long-term course of ADHD will be developed.

• DFG Programme: Clinical Research Units

Projects

• Administration/secretariat of the clinical research group on attention-deficit /hyperactivity disorder (Applicant Lesch, Klaus-Peter )
• Behavioral and pharmacological characterization of animal models for attentiondeficit/ hyperactivity disorder (Applicant Reif, Andreas )
• Electrophysiological correlates of putative endophenotypes of attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (Applicant Herrmann, Martin J. )
• Emotional-motivational deficits in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (Applicant Pauli, Paul )
• Functional molecular genetics: genotype-phenotype correlation and linkage analysis in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (Applicant Lesch, Klaus-Peter )
• Genetic-epidemiological and biostatistical methods for clinical research on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (Applicant Schäfer, Helmut )
• Genetic modulation of functional brain activity of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder-related working memory process (Applicant Herrmann, Martin J. )
• "Genomic Imaging": Schnittstelle zwischen funktioneller Bildgebung, Neuropsychologie, Neurophysiologie und Molekulargenetik (Applicant Lesch, Klaus-Peter )
• Long-term follow-up study of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder across the life span (Applicant Jacob, Christian )
• Molecular and cellular characterization of molecular models of attentiondeficit/ hyperactivity disorder (Applicant Grünblatt, Ph.D., Edna )
• Persistence and longitudinal development of attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder in consideration of family genetic determinants (Applicant Warnke, Andreas )
• Segregation of putative endophenotypes of the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) (Applicant Solymosi, László )

• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Andreas Warnke
• Leader: Professor Dr. Klaus-Peter Lesch