Kampo medicine pharmacology-based clarification and identification of etiologic factors and their function responsible for ADHD

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24659347
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: General internal medicine (including Psychosomatic medicine)
• Research Institution: University of Toyama
• Principal Investigator: MATSUMOTO KINZO 富山大学, 和漢医薬学総合研究所, 教授 (10114654)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TSUNEYAMA Koichi 徳島大学, ヘルスバイオサイエンス研究部, 教授 (10293341) ; LE Feng 富山大学, 和漢医薬学総合研究所, 助教 (80623016)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 隔離飼育 / 注意欠陥多動性障害モデル / 注意様行動 / 社会性 / 恐怖条件付け記憶 / 漢方薬 / 発症因子 / 初期増殖応答蛋白1

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Based on our hypothesis that social isolation (SI) induces behavioral abnormalities similar to attention deficit (AD) hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), we explored Kampo medicine-responsible factors which may be involved in ADHD. SI induced AD-like behaviors and impaired sociability and fear memory. The anti-ADHD drug methylphenidate (MPH) improved the AD-like behavior and sociability deficit, while the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor tacrine ameliorated fear memory deficits. SI-induced down-regulation of Egr-1, a factor involved in emotional and cognitive function was reversed by THA. These results further supported our hypothesis. The administration of sansonin-to (SST), a Kampo medicine for patients with neurologic symptoms and insomnia, showed the MPH-like effects and tended to improve fear memory in SI animals. These results suggest that SST is beneficial for the treatment of some symptoms of ADHD and that the effects of SST are at least in part due to the Egr-1 system in the brain.

Free Research Field

医歯薬学