Can the right timing improve ADHD treatment?

Leonie Balter, a researcher at the Department of Psychology, has recently been awarded a grant from the Swedish Research Council for the project “Time as Treatment: Mapping Circadian Rhythms in Neurocognitive Function in ADHD.”

The research project will investigate how biological rhythms influence cognition, symptoms, and treatment response in adults with ADHD. Here, Leonie Balter provides further insight into the aims of the research, how the study will be conducted, and the duration of the project.

Photo: Rosa/Pixabay

What is the aim of the study

– The aim of the study is to investigate how the body’s internal circadian rhythm affects ADHD and how effective pharmacological treatment is at different times of the day. A central objective is to map how the functioning of the neurotransmitter’s dopamine and noradrenaline—key pharmacological targets in ADHD—varies across the circadian cycle, and how these variations relate to cognitive functions and symptoms.

For chronomedicine to be developed within psychiatry, a deeper foundational understanding is first required of how these neurochemical systems interact with the body’s biological clock.

– Our ambition is therefore, first and foremost, to build this knowledge base, which in the long term can be used to make care more personalized and effective.

Leonie Balter Photo: Henrik Dunér

Chronomedicine:

Chronomedicine is a field of research and treatment that focuses on how the body’s biological clock and circadian rhythms can be used to improve medical treatment. The core idea is that the timing of a treatment can influence its effectiveness and side effects just as much as the treatment itself.

How will the study be conducted in practice?

– First, we will follow adults with ADHD in their everyday lives to map how symptoms, attention, and cognitive function vary at different times of the day, and how this relates to medication use and individual circadian profiles.

– Second, we will conduct a controlled laboratory study—a so-called constant routine study—in which we can isolate the body’s biological rhythms. In this setting, factors such as sleep, light exposure, and activity are kept constant, allowing us to examine how dopamine- and noradrenaline-related processes vary solely as a function of the internal clock.

– Finally, we aim to investigate how individuals with ADHD respond to so-called prediction errors—signals linked to dopamine—at different biological times. This will serve as a preliminary test of how sensitive the brain is to timing, and whether time of day can influence how treatments take effect.

How long will the research project take?

– The project will last for four years. This duration makes it possible to combine detailed laboratory studies with more naturalistic, real-world measurements over time, thereby creating a comprehensive picture of how biological timing influences ADHD symptoms.