The role of glutamate receptors in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: From physiology to disease.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common psychiatric disorder in children and adolescents, which is characterized by behavioral problems such as attention deficit, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. As the receptors of the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), glutamate receptors (GluRs) are strongly linked to normal brain functioning and pathological processes. Extensive investigations have been made about the structure, function, and regulation of GluR family, describing evidences that support the disruption of these mechanisms in mental disorders, including ADHD. In this review, we briefly described the family and function of GluRs in the CNS, and discussed what is recently known about the role of GluRs in ADHD, that including GluR genes, animal models, and the treatment, which would help us further elucidate the etiology of ADHD.