Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that facilitate communication, and dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is associated with feelings of pleasure. Drugs such as heroin, cocaine and alcohol increase the level of dopamine in the brain. Too much or too little dopamine is associated with a number of mental illnesses. People with schizophrenia often have an excessive amount of dopamine in the frontal lobe of their brain. Dopamine deficiency in children might be related to a number of conditions and symptoms.
Symptoms
Dopamine deficiency in children can cause a number of symptoms and clinical conditions. Even if children do not have serious enough symptoms to warrant a physical or mental diagnosis, the dopamine deficiency can create disruption in their lives. Children with low levels of dopamine might be tired and have trouble getting out of bed. Weight gain also seems to be associated with dopamine deficiency. Children are more likely to be shy, have difficulty concentrating and display a flat or blunted affect.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is a condition in which children have difficulty sitting still, concentrating and focusing. Although adults have ADHD as well, the symptoms of ADHD must appear before the age of 7 and can appear as early as 2 years of age. Studies have suggested that low levels of dopamine might be related to some of the symptoms associated with ADHD. According to a study published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association," patients with ADHD had significantly lower dopamine receptors than non-ADHD patients.
Depression
Psychiatrists and researchers have only recently begun to investigate depression in children. Although clinical depression has long been considered to be an adult condition, experts now are recognizing that children also experience it. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, anywhere between 10 percent and 15 percent of the child and adolescent population displays some symptoms of depression at any given time. Animal studies have linked low levels of dopamine to depressive behaviors. Brain imaging of humans with untreated depression has suggested that dopamine deficiency might play a role in the illness.
Restless Legs Syndrome
Restless legs syndrome, or RLS, is a neurological disorder often confused with growing pains in children. RLS causes painful and uncomfortable sensations in a person's legs when he is trying to sleep. A study published in 2007 in "Pediatrics" found that 2 percent of the study respondents had symptoms of RLS, suggesting it is a more common childhood disorder than originally thought. Some research has suggested that RLS is associated with low levels of dopamine in the brain.
References
- George Boeree; Neurotransmitters; C. George Boeree
- Med Page Today; Low Dopamine Implicated in ADHD Attention Symptoms; Crystal Phend; September 2009
- MayoClinic.com: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Children
- Public Health Service: Depression and Suicide in Children and Adolescents
- Primary Psychiatry; The Role of Dopamine and Norepinephrine in Depression; Donald S. Robinson; 2007
- MedScape; Prevalence of the Restless Legs Syndrome in Children; William T. Basco; January 2008
