## Notes [[ADHD]] [[ADHD brains lack neurotransmitters]] ## Highlights the cerebellum is underdeveloped in people with ADHD. This part of the brain is responsible for things like learning new skills, regulating emotions, and making quick decisions, as well as physical balance and coordination. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/6b5e69ab-4e18-4ddb-8d86-04dd97f2ca46)) deficiency of certain neurotransmitters: molecules that carry signals to brain cells, muscles, and other parts of the body. The most notable deficiencies in people with ADHD are in dopamine (associated with motivation) and norepinephrine (associated with concentration). ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/4906f683-6c10-4af6-a22a-d24e8a9dd8f8)) ^9z8x2e ADHD come from an inability to shift between two types of brain activity: activity in the task-positive network (TPN) and in the default-mode network (DMN). ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/cdf38fc2-bf84-4c2f-87d3-439e728555a9)) ^spy7qc Activity in the TPN happens when someone’s absorbed in a task. They concentrate on that single thing to get it done. This state is often called flow or “being in the zone.” ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/f3e9b0c8-eeed-4927-9c45-84d1621a4840)) ^aet95h ADHD researcher William Dodson has another explanation for how a person with ADHD’s brain works. They don’t have trouble switching between modes of thinking—rather, they don’t switch modes when neurotypical people would. In other words, people with ADHD don’t have “worse” or less effective brains—they just operate by different rules. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/7c0d9fd5-d50f-4b86-9852-5f71007245be)) ^gkl23d ADHD have what he terms an interest-based nervous system. This means they respond to things that intrigue them or stimulate them, and they’re then able to get “in the zone” (TPN). For people with ADHD, a task’s importance is much less significant than how interesting it is, which leads to serious problems with prioritizing. ([View Highlight](https://www.shortform.com/app/highlights/92b32892-3a91-499d-bf54-420bd972460b))