Main Research Interests

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) usually begins during childhood and leads to an increased risk of developing a substance use disorder (SUD) later on. In patients with SUD, approximately 10-20% suffer from ADHD, but mostly unrecognized and untreated. Our research group is investigating this common comorbidity. Our focus is – among others – to improve diagnostic assessment and treatment of ADHD in patients with SUD, especially in alcohol use disorders.

We are collaborating with other research groups of our department to improve our understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms and to allow individualized treatment approaches for the comorbidity of ADHD and SUD.  

We are part of the international ICASA network (www.adhdandsubstancebuse.org). In this network that recently celebrated its 10 years anniversary, over 50 researchers from 16 centres worldwide work together to improve scientific quality and quantity about ADHD in SUD.

Since 2020, we created a German network on ADHD & SUD. This scientific and clinical network also serves as a starting point for clinical and basic science studies. By this, we can utilise a synergistic effect with the international ICASA network, and address the national specialties of the German health sector.

Current Projects

  • International Naturalistic Study on ADHD and Substance Abuse (InCAS)
    (more information: https://www.adhdandsubstanceabuse.org/research.html)
  • Trauma and emotional dysregulation in patients with ADHD and substance use disorders
  • Treatment of ADHD in patients with substance use disorders

Members

Publications

Bach P*, Luderer M*, Müller UJ*, Jakobs M, Baldermann JC, Voges J, Kiening K, Lux A, Visser-Vandewalle V; DeBraSTRA study group; Bogerts B*, Kuhn J*, Mann K*. Deep brain stimulation of the nucleus accumbens in treatment-resistant alcohol use disorder: a double-blind randomized controlled multi-center trial. Transl Psychiatry. 2023 Feb 8;13(1):49. doi: 10.1038/s41398-023-02337-1. PMID: 36755017; PMCID: PMC9908935.

* = equally contributed

Luderer M, Seidt J, Gerhardt S, Hoffmann S, Vollstädt-Klein S, Reif A and Sobanski E (2023) Drinking alcohol to cope with hyperactive ADHD? Self-reports vs. continuous performance test in patients with ADHD and/or alcohol use disorder. Front. Psychiatry 14:1112843. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1112843

Luderer M (2021). ADHS und Alkoholabhängigkeit – aktuelle Empfehlungen zu Screening, Diagnostik und Therapie. Suchtmedizin 23(6): 375-383

Gerhardt S, Luderer M, Bumb JM, Sobanski E, Moggi F, Kiefer F, Vollstädt-Klein S. Stop What You're Doing!—An fMRI Study on Comparisons of Neural Subprocesses of Response Inhibition in ADHD and Alcohol Use Disorder. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2021.

Luderer M, Ramos Quiroga JA, Faraone SV, Zhang James Y, Reif A. Alcohol use disorders and ADHDNeurosci Biobehav Rev. 2021 Jul 12;128:648-660. Epub ahead of print. 

Farré-Colomés À, Gerhardt S, Luderer M, Sobanski E, Kiefer F, Vollstädt-Klein S. Common and distinct neural connectivity in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and alcohol use disorder studied using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2021 Mar 9

Nakovics H, Benoit D, Asherson P, Luderer M, Alm B, Vollstädt-Klein S, Philipsen A, Mowlem F, Fischer N, Sobanski E. Validation of the German Version of the Mind Excessively Wandering Scale (MEWS-G). Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr. 2021 Feb 26;.

Kapitány-Fövény M, Barta C, Crunelle CL, van den Brink W, Moggi F, Konstenius M, Franck J, Levin FR, van de Glind G, Coetzee C, Luderer M, Schellekens A, Matthys F, Demetrovics Z. [Recommendations for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of patients with comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity- and substance use disorder]. Psychiatr Hung. 2020;35(4):435-447. 

Luderer M, Reinhard I, Richter A, Kiefer F, Weber T. ADHD Is Associated with a Higher Risk for Traumatic Events, Self-Reported PTSD, and a Higher Severity of PTSD Symptoms in Alcohol-Dependent Patients.Eur Addict Res. 2020;26(4-5):245-253. Epub 2020 Jul 10.

Ozgen H, Spijkerman R, Noack M, Holtmann M, Schellekens A, Van de Glind G, Banaschewski T, Barta C, Begeman A, Casas M, Crunelle CL, Daigre C, Dalsgaard S, Demetrovics Z, den Boer J, Dom G, Eapen V, Faraone SV, Franck J, Gonzalez RA , Grau-L¢pez L , Groenman A , Hemphälä M , Icick R , Johnson B , Kaess M , Kapitány-Fövény M , Kasinathan JG , Kaye S , Kiefer F , Konstenius M , Levin F , Luderer M , Martinotti G , Matthys F , Meszaros G , Moggi F , Munasur-Naidoo AP , Post M , Rabinovitz S , Ramos-Quiroga JA, Sala R , Shafi A , Slobodin O , Staal WG , Thomasius R , Truter I , van Kernebeek MW , Velez-Pastrana MC , Vollstädt-Klein S , Vorspan F , Young J , Yule A , van den Brink W , Hendriks V. International consensus statement for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of adolescents with concurrent attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and substance use disorderEur Addict Res. 2020.

Sanchez-Garcia NC, Gonzalez RA, Ramos-Quiroga JA, van den Brink W, Luderer M, Blankers M, Grau-L¢pez L, Levin F, Kaye S, Demetrovics Z, van de Glind G , Schellekens A , Velez-Pastrana MC. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder increases nicotine addiction severity in adults seeking treatment for substance use disorders: The role of personality disorders.Eur Addict Res. 2020.

Vollstädt-Klein S, Gerhardt S, Lee A, Strosche A, Sharafi G, Nuriyeva R, Seidt J, Hennig O, Alm B, Hermann D, Sommer WH, Kiefer F, Luderer M, Sobanski E. Interaction between behavioral inhibition and neural alcohol cue-reactivity in ADHD and alcohol use disorder.Psychopharmacology. 2020.

Mueller S, Luderer M, Zhang D, Meulien D, Brach BS, Schou MB. Open-label Study with Nalmefene as Needed Use in Alcohol-Dependent Patients with Evidence of Elevated Liver Stiffness and/or Hepatic SteatosisAlcohol and Alcoholism. 2019. .

Luderer M, Kiefer F, Reif A, Moggi F. ADHS bei erwachsenen Patienten mit Substanzkonsum-Störungen.Der Nervenarzt. 2019.

Luderer M, Kaplan-Wickel N, Sick C, Richter A, Reinhard I, Kiefer F, Weber T. ADHS-Screening bei Alkoholabhängigen - Psychometrische Eigenschaften der ADHS-Selbstbeurteilungsskala (ADHS-SB) und der Wender-Utah-Rating-Scale Kurzform (WURS‑k).Der Nervenarzt. 2019.

Luderer M, Kaplan-Wickel N, Richter A, Reinhard I, Kiefer F, Weber T. Screening for adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in alcohol dependent patients: Underreporting of ADHD symptoms in self-report scalesDrug Alcohol Depend. 2018.

Luderer M, Sick C, Kaplan-Wickel N, Reinhard I, Richter A, Kiefer F, Weber T. Prevalence Estimates of ADHD in a Sample of Inpatients With Alcohol Dependence. J Atten Disord. 2018.

Crunelle CL, van den Brink W, Moggi F, Konstenius M, Franck J, Levin FR, van de Glind G, Demetrovics Z, Coetzee C, Luderer M, Schellekens A, Matthys F, ICASA consensus group. International Consensus Statement on Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment of Substance Use Disorder Patients with Comorbid Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity DisorderEur Addict Res. 2018.

Reinhardt S, Stoye N, Luderer M, Kiefer F, Schmitt U, Lieb K, Endres K. Identification of disulfiram as a secretase-modulating compound with beneficial effects on Alzheimer’s disease hallmarks.Scientific Reports. 2018.

Luderer M, Bumb JM, Sobanski E. Pharmakotherapie der ADHS im Erwachsenenalter. Psychopharmakotherapie. 2016.

Luderer M, Koopmann A, Hoffmann S, Reinhard I, Bez J, Hermann D. Verbessert eine intensivierte ambulante Behandlung das Outcome von schwer alkoholabhängigen Patienten? Eine Pilotstudie.Suchttherapie. 2016.