Focus, attention and motivation
Why concentration fails, what procrastination is, and what dopamine does and does not have to do with ADHD, motivation and attention span.
Definitive answers
- ExplainerBDoes ADHD mean low dopamine?ADHD involves altered dopamine and dopamine-acting medication, but imaging evidence for a simple “deficiency” is inconsistent, and the genetics are polygenic.
- ExplainerBIs dopamine the motivation molecule?Dopamine drives effort and ‘wanting’, shown in human PET and pharmacology studies, but it is not a single motivation switch or the source of pleasure.
- ExplainerCWhy do I procrastinate?Procrastination is mainly an emotion-regulation problem, not laziness or a dopamine deficiency. Here is what the human evidence actually shows.
- Explainer?Is our attention span really shrinking?The claim that human attention span has fallen to 8 seconds, less than a goldfish, has no traceable scientific source. Here is what is actually measured.
- ExplainerBWhy can’t I concentrate?Poor concentration usually has an identifiable cause: sleep loss, task-switching, low mood or interruptions. What the evidence says, and when to see a GP.
In the Dopamine Index
- IndexBADHD medicationPET studies show stimulant ADHD medication blocks the dopamine transporter and raises synaptic dopamine in the human brain in a dose-dependent way.
- IndexCMeditationOne small PET study found dopamine release rose during a specific meditation practice (Yoga Nidra), linked to reduced desire for action.
- IndexBSleepPET studies consistently show sleep deprivation reduces striatal D2/D3 receptor availability, reflecting altered dopamine signalling and impaired alertness.
How we grade evidence: the dopamine.co.uk Evidence Standard. Try the free tools.
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