Basic and Applied Research Related to ADHD.

Through this program announcement (PA), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and the NIEHS seek to encourage investigator-initiated research to enhance the scientific understanding of underlying mechanisms and risk processes related to attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and their implication for the development of effective interventions. Major areas of research interest are 1) basic behavioral and neuroscience research in dimensions of attention, inhibitory control, emotion, and other executive functions relevant to the etiologies, nosology, identification, prevention, and/or treatment of ADHD; 2) basic or applied research on etiologies, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention of ADHD; and 3) research on the development of new interventions for use with individuals diagnosed with ADHD and their families.

This PA encourages research involving collaboration between basic scientists and clinical researchers in the study of related dimensions of cognitive and emotional functioning. Communication of clinical findings is critical for identifying new questions to be addressed by basic research and to assist in interpreting findings. It is believed that increased collaboration between basic and clinical scientists will enhance our understanding of the causal mechanisms underlying ADHD and subsequently improve our classification of the disorder and interventions.

Research on the biological, cognitive, and/or genetic processes related to ADHD deficits (e.g., selective and/or sustained attention, inhibitory control, information processing, memory, vigilance, motor control, etc.) and their development among ADHD and non-ADHD children, adolescents, and/or adults is needed to facilitate and clarify ADHD nosology and taxonomy. It is hoped that research in this area will have implications for the understanding of ADHD subtype clusters, heterogeneous presentation across gender and age, comorbid conditions, and functional impairments that co-occur with ADHD. It is also hoped that this research will impact the prevention and/or intervention strategies for this disorder.

Given the heterogeneous nature of ADHD, research on the differential risk factors and nosology of ADHD subtypes and comorbid conditions is very important. There is a need to define risk and protective factors for the identification of ADHD as well as the developmental processes (behavioral, biobehavioral, social, emotional, and cognitive) that lead to the disorder. An understanding of these factors and developmental course of ADHD could then be translated into new prevention, early intervention, and treatment strategies.

Numerous treatments have been designed for individuals diagnosed with ADHD; however, many of these interventions continue to have little impact on long-term functional outcomes. Furthermore, several treatments have been tested within narrowly defined populations, such as boys with a combined type diagnosis. Consequently, the development of interventions that specifically consider treatment impact on age-appropriate functional outcomes (e.g., academic achievement, peer functioning, vocational success) as well as ADHD symptoms is encouraged. Interventions that target females diagnosed with ADHD, preschool children, adolescents, and adults, as well as individuals with co-occurring disorders, are particularly underrepresented. Treatment development includes the conceptualization, development, standardization, and/or testing (pilot testing, field studies, or small scale experiments) of a theory-driven, empirically based intervention approach.

The NIAAA will consider funding alcohol-relevant applications submitted in response to this PA. For example, attention deficits are consistently identified in children with fetal alcohol syndrome or alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder. In addition, offspring of male alcoholics, who are at increased risk for alcohol problems as adults, also display more problems during childhood and adolescence, particularly problems and disorders of attention, anxiety, and conduct. Insufficient research has been devoted to the underlying genetic, neurobiological, and environmental factors that may influence the expression and severity of ADHD or the response to treatment in these populations. More studies are needed on the impact of ADHD on cognitive and social functioning across the life span, particularly with respect to risk for alcohol abuse and/or alcoholism in adolescence and adulthood. Many of the research topics listed above address issues that would advance scientific knowledge to improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of fetal alcohol syndrome and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder, and elucidate the role of ADHD in the initiation of drinking and progression to alcohol use problems.

Of interest to the NIDA is animal and human research that 1) examines the relationship between childhood ADHD and/or the treatment of childhood ADHD on subsequent vulnerability to drug abuse in adolescence or adulthood, 2) analyzes the adult comorbidity for ADHD and drug abuse, 3) studies the influence of caregiver drug abuse on the etiology of ADHD, 4) addresses prenatal and/or perinatal exposure to drugs of abuse as potential etiological factors in ADHD, and 5) explores treatment responsivity in ADHD patients as a function of prior exposure to drugs of abuse. Of particular interest in all of these areas are specific studies of cognitive and behavioral processes.

This PA will use the NIH Research Project Grant (R01) award mechanism, which provides up to five years of funding that is commensurate with the science proposed. The total project period for an application submitted in response to this PA may not exceed five years. Applications are to be submitted on the grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 4/98) and will be accepted at the standard application deadlines as indicated in the application kit. Application kits are available at most institutional offices of sponsored research and from the Division of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources, NIH, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910 USA, 301-435-0714, e-mail: [e-mail]. Applications are also available on the Internet at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm. More information on this PA is also available online at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-01-083.html.

Contact: Farris Tuma, Developmental Psychopathology and Prevention Research Branch, Division of Mental Disorders, Behavioral Research and AIDS, NIMH, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6200, MSC 9617, Bethesda, MD 20892-9617 USA, 301-443-5944, fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]; Beth-Anne Sieber, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Research Branch, Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science, NIMH, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 7186, MSC 9641, Bethesda, MD 20892-9641 USA, 301-443-5288, fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]; Laurie Foudin, Biomedical Research Branch, Division of Basic Research, NIAAA, 6000 Executive Boulevard, Suite 402, MSC 7003, Bethesda, MD 20892-7003 USA, 301-443-0912, fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]; Cora Lee Wetherington, Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences Research Branch, NIDA, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 4282, MSC 9555, Bethesda, MD 20892-9555 USA, 301 443-1263, fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]; Annette Kirshner, Organs and Systems Toxicology Branch, Division of Extramural Research and Training, NIEHS, PO Box 12233, MD EC-23, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 USA, 919-541-0488, fax: [phone], e-mail: kirshner@ niehs.nih.gov. Reference: PA No. PA-01-083