Gemstone Team ATTENT

Our Research 

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

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ADHD is the most prevalent neurodevelopmental pediatric disorder in the United States of America, affecting approximately 5% of all school-aged children. ADHD is characterized by symptoms such as impulsivity, hyperactivity, and behavioral inhibition . Further, individuals with ADHD appear to have abnormal levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine and dopamine related transporters or receptors. In the last decade there has been a sudden rise in the number of documented diagnoses of ADHD. This is partially due to the symptoms appearing in varying degrees of severity. Additionally, ADHD is comorbid with other neurological disorders making its impact stretch beyond the normal scope of the disorder.

 

Food Additives: Tartrazine

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Tartrazine is a yellow food coloring that is common in the diet and popular in drinks such as Gatorade and Mountain Dew and foods such as macaroni and cheese. It is linked to cancer, and increased urinary zinc excretion, which ultimately produces decreased dopamine levels in the brain. It is this decrease in dopamine levels that potentially link tartrazine to ADHD symptoms. 

 

Research Project 

 

Team ATTENT hypothesizes that an increase in dietary tartrazine will lead to a decrease in neurological dopamine expression and an increase in ADHD behavioral symtpoms.