Introduction to Motivation and ADHD

Stressing all day about all the work you have – and the next thing you know, it’s 11 PM, and you haven’t started anything! Have you ever experienced this before? If you have, you’re not alone: Over 42% of Americans under 50 report struggles with motivation. This struggle is particularly pronounced in individuals with ADHD, where the connection between motivation and brain function is crucial. Fortunately, neurofeedback offers a promising approach to addressing these challenges.

Understanding Motivation: The Science Behind It

What is motivation, anyway? The American Psychological Association (APA) defines it as “a person’s willingness to exert physical or mental effort in pursuit of a goal or outcome.” Motivation drives our decisions and helps us maintain a risk-reward balance when deciding where to focus our effort. It is derived from many parts of the brain; however, we will cover some regions that play the most critical role in pursuing our goals.

The Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) and Its Role in Motivation

The Anterior Cingulate Cortex, particularly its dorsal section (dACC), plays a crucial role in motivation. A Harvard-affiliated study discovered dACC activation in 7 out of 8 participants when expecting a smaller reward, demonstrating the dACC’s relationship with motivation pathways. Another study found that suppressing behavior is also related to the dACC, leading to the belief that it is involved in motivated control.

The ACC’s Connection to ADHD: What the Research Shows

This is further demonstrated through the fact that the dACC tends to have either abnormal or reduced activity in people with ADHD. dACC connectivity with other regions of the brain is also seen to be increased in people with ADHD, further indicating that abnormal dACC functioning plays a role in ADHD. Connectivity is the interaction between the activity of different parts of the brain; it can be measured with an EEG by analyzing the correlation between electrical activity in different parts of the brain. The current research shows a clear connection between altered dACC activity or functional structure and ADHD.

Dopamine’s Impact on Motivation

“dACC activity is all about predictions of our choices and environment and especially signals when those predictions are wrong” - William Alexander, PhD. 

Another key factor in motivation is dopamine, a neurotransmitter highly involved in reward pathways. A recent Vanderbilt study discovered that dopamine could have either a positive or negative impact on motivation, depending on where it is released in the brain. It signals in response to both negative and positive motivational stimuli, including stress and pride. Since how you perceive your goals has a great impact on motivation, a key method to boost your drive is through creating smaller, achievable goals that you are intrinsically excited to reach.

How Dopamine Dysregulation Affects ADHD Symptoms

Dopamine is also related to ADHD symptoms. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that dopamine levels in people with ADHD tend to differ from those without it. This is primarily since ADHD can lead to the development of more dopamine transporters, which remove dopamine from brain cells, leading to low dopamine levels. Another possibility for low dopamine levels could be metabolic issues, which prevent patients from having the nutrition necessary to develop neurotransmitters. Therefore, ADHD is often medicated with drugs that increase dopamine levels.

The Limbic System: Motivation and Reward Pathways

The Ventral Striatum is a key section in the Limbic System involved in motivation and reward systems. Studies with monkey’s neural activity demonstrated a relationship between habitual reward-seeking and the Ventral Striatum, demonstrating its importance in our daily routines and productivity. Furthermore, the Limbic System contains the Amygdala, our main emotion control center. The Amygdala is more involved in primal motivations, seeking immediate pleasure and controlling our fear; it reacts immediately, controlling our fight-or-flight system, which may have been handy during the caveman era, but now, often prevents us from reaching our true potential. Various studies have seen that the amygdala is also involved in procrastination, especially when it is larger or less connected to rational regions of the brain. Therefore, through proper amygdala regulation, you may be able to boost your focus on long-term goals and decrease procrastination!

The Role of the Limbic System in ADHD

Limbic System activity is also connected to ADHD; children with ADHD typically demonstrate “atypical development” in the limbic system. It tends to be smaller in adolescents with ADHD as well, meaning the limbic system has less volume when compared with a control sample. Therefore, people with ADHD often struggle with emotional regulation. The Ventral Striatum also has a role in ADHD, as decreased activity in the region was shown during reward anticipation in children who showed ADHD symptoms. Even if the patient did not have an ADHD diagnosis, if they showed ADHD symptoms, they erred towards less Ventral Striatum Activity.

Practical Strategies to Boost Motivation for Individuals with ADHD

Motivation and ADHD are extremely interconnected. Symptoms of ADHD may impact your motivation, such as task paralysis or a lack of intrinsic desire to complete tasks, especially if they seem boring or difficult. There is scientific reasoning behind this, as brain areas related to motivation are often impacted by ADHD, such as the frontal-cortical regions, which have a strong role in decision-making and the function of the limbic system. It is still possible to boost your motivation with ADHD: Healthline suggests utilizing either small, frequent incentives or external pressure to help motivate the ADHD brain.

Time Blocking: A Proven Method to Enhance Productivity

Well now that you have a better understanding of the neuroscience behind motivation, you may be wondering, “Dhruva, how do I improve my motivation in both my professional and personal lives?” Don’t worry, that’s exactly what we will go over now! A good way to boost your productivity is through calendar time blocking. By developing a schedule, with individual tasks set for certain amounts of time, and attempting to stick to it, while also leaving it slightly modifiable, you can greatly increase your productivity. The Harvard Business Review found that using time-blocking with calendars was far more effective than using to-do lists, which provide you with too many options and often lead you to work on simple tasks, rather than the important ones that may seem difficult.

Finding Intrinsic Motivation: A Key to Sustained Drive

You can also look for intrinsic motivation for your goals, rather than looking for external validation. According to positive psychology, we need to develop a sense of autonomy with our tasks, relationships with the people around us, and a sense of competence and confidence in our skills. By working towards all of these and creating an environment that enables your growth, you can find greater intrinsic motivation.

How Neurofeedback Can Improve Motivation and Focus

Finally, an excellent way to boost motivation is through Neurofeedback has shown efficiency in modulating reward systems related to motivation. By developing your brain waves to a desirable state, you can boost your focus, motivation, and general productivity.

Conclusion: Take Control of Your Motivation with Neurofeedback

Motivation plays a crucial role in both our personal and professional lives. From asking someone out on a date to pushing yourself to attend that early morning meeting, it's essential for achieving our goals. We must take our lives into our own hands and educate ourselves on motivation, the struggles we may face with it, and how to push ourselves to, and beyond, our limits. Are you struggling with motivation? Finding it hard to stay on task? Don't be passive in your own success — book a free discovery call today, and learn how we can assess your unique brain to find out precisely what's inhibiting your motivation!