Nitric Oxide Synthase genotype modulation of impulsivity and ventral striatal activity in adult ADHD patients and healthy comparison subjects

Since ADHD and, in particular, impulsivity are related to decreased ventral striatal activity, it was hypothesized that the NOS1 genotype itself might also be related to decreased ventral striatal activity. However, the authors found instead that NOS1 variants associated with ADHD are actually associated with increased ventral striatal activity. Thus, the effect of NOS1 must involve a change in activity elsewhere in the brain, and the decreased ventral striatal activity must happen through other mechanisms.