http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/add_and_adhd/ Read the latest medical research on ADD, ADHD and related attention deficit disorders. Find information on ADD and ADHD tests, diagnosis methods, ADHD drugs and new approaches to ADHD treatment. en-us Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:05:01 EDT Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/add_and_adhd/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908105354.htm Children born prematurely are four times more likely to have emotional problems or behavioral disorders, according to new research. Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080908105354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708171545.htm A genetic change in the dopamine transporter, discovered in two brothers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, makes it behave as if amphetamine is present and "run backward," Vanderbilt Medical Center investigators report. The researchers propose that because the altered transporter pushes dopamine out into the synapse, it alters dopamine signaling and contributes to the symptoms of ADHD. They further find that both Ritalin and Adderall, two ADHD medications, block the backward-running transporter. Wed, 09 Jul 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708171545.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080707081830.htm An innovative program is helping busy primary care physicians improve the care they provide for school-aged children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, according to a new study. The study is the first to intervene with an entire community of primary care physicians and help them more accurately diagnose and effectively monitor treatment response of their patients with ADHD, researchers said. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080707081830.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080624115956.htm Stimulant medications such as Ritalin have been prescribed for decades to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and their popularity as "cognition enhancers" has recently surged among the healthy, as well. Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080624115956.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080616115843.htm Concerned by the growing numbers of people using stimulant medications such as methylphenidate -- either legally or illegally -- to improve attention and focus, researchers used positron emission tomography imaging with the radiotracer fluorodeoxyglucose to assess the effects of the drug on brain function in the normal human brain. Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080616115843.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080609195604.htm A propensity for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder might be beneficial to a group of Kenyan nomads, according to new research in BMC Evolutionary Biology. Scientists have shown that an ADHD-associated version of the gene DRD4 is associated with better health in nomadic tribesmen, and yet may cause malnourishment in their settled cousins. Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080609195604.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080610161250.htm Children and teens with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder who were treated with the herb St. John's wort did not have any greater improvement in ADHD symptoms compared to those who received placebo. Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080610161250.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080609071154.htm Children with high risk for a sleep-related breathing disorder are more likely to have anxiety. Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080609071154.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080602103336.htm People use eye contact in a variety of ways every minute of every day but how often do you find yourself staring into space with concentrating on an issue or problem? Psychologists now know that people who are carrying out a complex task tend to look away from anyone else who is nearby. They refer to it as "gaze aversion." Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080602103336.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080602105515.htm A new study supports previous reports that adolescents with bipolar disorder are at increased risk for smoking and substance abuse. The article also indicates that bipolar-associated risk is independent of the risk conferred by other disorders affecting study participants. Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080602105515.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080527125324.htm Workers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) do 22 days less work per year than people who do not have the disorder, finds new research. So much work is being lost that the researchers recommend employers consider screening staff for ADHD and providing treatment for those affected, because it would be more cost-effective for their businesses. Wed, 28 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080527125324.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080522210010.htm A properly supervised trial eliminating colors and preservatives from the diet of hyperactive children should considered a part of the standard treatment, according to experts. Fri, 23 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080522210010.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162858.htm Although most adopted American teens are psychologically healthy, adoptees appear to be at greater risk for emotional and behavioral problems than non-adoptees, according to a new report in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. They are also more likely to have contact with a mental health professional. Tue, 06 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162858.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421170219.htm The side effects of stimulant drugs, like those used to treat ADHD are usually insignificant, but are important to monitor for children with ADHD and certain heart conditions. Children diagnosed with ADHD should receive an electrocardiogram to rule out heart abnormalities before beginning treatment with stimulant drugs. Children currently taking stimulant drugs who did not have an ECG prior to treatment should get an ECG, according to a newly issued statement "Cardiovascular Monitoring of Children and Adolescents with Heart Disease Receiving Stimulant Drugs." Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421170219.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409110023.htm New study offers a closer look at the association between childhood sleep-disordered breathing, including snoring and sleep apnea, and behavioral problems like hyperactivity and anxiety. Children with sleep-disordered breathing who are also overweight, sleep for short periods of time, or have another sleep disorder like insomnia are more likely to have behavior issues. Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409110023.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407195349.htm The performance pressures from end-of-semester exams and papers can take a toll on students, even leading them to turn to potentially harmful substances to keep them awake and alert. Recent studies show that a growing number of high school and college students are turning to stimulants like ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) drugs and energy drinks to help them through their stress -- particularly during exam time, says an adolescent medicine specialist. Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407195349.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407160751.htm Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder appear likely to experience sleep problems, according to a new report. Sleep problems in these children may be associated with poorer child psychosocial quality of life, child daily functioning, caregiver mental health and family functioning. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407160751.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328124554.htm Parents should not worry when their pre-schoolers talk to themselves; in fact, they should encourage it, says a new study. The study shows that children do better on motor tasks when they talk to themselves out loud than when they are silent. Researchers also looked for the first time at the ways that autistic children talk to themselves and the effectiveness it has on the way they do things. Sat, 29 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328124554.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080314085032.htm Girls with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder stand a substantially greater risk of developing eating disorders in adolescence than girls without ADHD, a new study has found. "Adolescent girls with ADHD frequently develop body-image dissatisfaction and may go through repeating cycles of binge eating and purging behaviors that are common in bulimia nervosa," said the psychologist who led the study. Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080314085032.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304152837.htm Researchers are one step closer to helping children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder improve their self-control. ADHD is one of the most commonly diagnosed chronic psychiatric conditions in today's school-aged children and is based on such behavioral criteria as mpulsivity, hyperactivity, inattention and learning disabilities. A new study looked at impulsivity in two strains of rat. The spontaneously hypertensive rat has been proposed as a rodent model of ADHD because the rats have behavioral characteristics similar to those seen in humans diagnosed with ADHD. In the study, the impulsivity of spontaneously hypertensive rats was compared to their parent strain without hypertension, Wistar-Kyoto rats, using a self-control choice task that was originally developed in humans. Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080304152837.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080301214734.htm Treatment with methylphenidate appears to have beneficial effects on sleep parameters in adults with ADHD, including increased sleep efficiency and a feeling of improved restorative value of sleep. Wed, 05 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080301214734.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080218134721.htm Many studies on cocaine addiction - and attempts to block its addictiveness - have focused on dopamine transporters, proteins that reabsorb the brain's "reward" chemical once its signal is sent. Since cocaine blocks dopamine transporters from doing their recycling job, it leaves the feel-good chemical around to keep sending the pleasure signal. Now a new study suggests that cocaine's effects go beyond the dopamine system. In the study, cocaine had significant effects on brain metabolism, even in mice that lack the gene for dopamine transporters. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080218134721.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219093024.htm Fragile X syndrome is the most common hereditary form of mental retardation. Many children with FXS also suffer from attention deficit and/or hyperactivity disorder, which complicates social relationships at home and at school. Although stimulant medication such as Ritalin is often successfully used to treat children with ADHD, studies have shown that while it is effective in children with mental retardation, it also causes side effects such as increased irritability, decreased verbalization and social withdrawal. Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219093024.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080122165614.htm A new study shows that only about half of children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, exhibit the cognitive defects commonly associated with the condition and further, found that in populations where medication is rarely prescribed to treat ADHD, the prevalence and symptoms of the disorder are roughly equivalent to populations in which medication is widely used. Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080122165614.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071213194723.htm Certain types of tantrums in preschoolers may be a sign of serious emotional or behavioral problems. Although temper tantrums are common and normal in young children, the researchers found that long, frequent, violent and/or self-destructive tantrums may indicate the presence of psychiatric illness. Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071213194723.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071214183432.htm At a time when doctors reach for drugs as a first line of treatment for psychological disorders, a review of the reported research indicates that behavioral programs and procedures can reduce the symptoms of tic disorders. Sat, 15 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071214183432.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203204513.htm Very low levels of lead in the blood -- previously believed to be safe -- could be contributing to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The research findings support a growing body of national evidence suggesting there is no safe level of lead in the blood. Other studies show a link between low-level lead exposure and lower IQ. Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203204513.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071115082321.htm The National Health Service in the United Kingdom is likely to face a ten-fold increase in the cost of drugs prescribed to children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in the decade to 2012. The research modelled various scenarios to determine possible costs to the National Health Service in England and the statutory health insurance providers in Germany. Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071115082321.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071112172200.htm In youth with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the brain matures in a normal pattern but is delayed three years in some regions, on average, compared to youth without the disorder, MRI scans reveal. The delay in ADHD was most prominent in regions at the front of the brain's outer mantle important for thinking and attention. Both groups showed a similar back-to-front wave of brain maturation with different areas peaking in thickness at different times. Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071112172200.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071101092754.htm If a woman is overweight when she becomes pregnant, the probability is much greater that her child will evince ADHD-like symptoms when he/she reaches school age, according to a new Nordic study. Expectant mothers who were already overweight and moreover gained a considerable amount of weight during the course of the pregnancy ran a greater risk of having a child who would later show signs of ADHD than did women of normal weight who experienced the same weight gain during pregnancy. Thu, 01 Nov 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071101092754.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071023173432.htm While working with parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder one researcher noticed something was missing: the fathers. So he changed the meeting place to a soccer field and noticed an enormous difference. While the children practice soccer skills, the fathers meet to learn parenting skills. Fri, 26 Oct 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071023173432.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071017090131.htm Insulin, long known as an important regulator of blood glucose levels, now has a newly appreciated role in brain systems linked to drug addiction and neuropsychiatric disorders, according to a new report. The findings also suggest that ADHD risk may have an insulin-dependent component. Wed, 17 Oct 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071017090131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071014163641.htm ADHD is an increasingly frequent complex mental disorder in children with partly devastating consequences for the child's further development and the families. There are promising new strategies of research to develop more appropriate treatments that specifically refer to the patient's basic neuropsychological dysfunctions and mechanisms. Working memory can be improved by training in children with ADHD and could be of clinical use for ameliorating the symptoms in ADHD. Mon, 15 Oct 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071014163641.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070918144259.htm In an 18-year-study on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Mayo Clinic researchers found that treatment with prescription stimulants is associated with improved long-term academic success of children with ADHD. The Mayo Clinic results are the first population-based data to show stimulant drug therapy helps improve long-term school outcomes. Mon, 24 Sep 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070918144259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070903204843.htm An estimated 8.7 percent of U.S. children age 8 to 15 meet diagnostic criteria for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, but fewer than half receive treatment, according to a new article. Tue, 04 Sep 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070903204843.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070822164653.htm Restless legs syndrome is a common problem in children 8 years of age and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, according to a new report. Nearly 2 percent of children aged 8 to 17 are affected, and a significant proportion of those experience moderate to severe symptoms, including sleep disturbance and negative moods. Thu, 23 Aug 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070822164653.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070821143557.htm Non-medicinal interventions are highly effective in preventing the behavioral and academic problems associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), according to a five-year study.The results were significant. Using a variety of early intervention strategies, parents reported, on average, a 17-percent decrease in aggression and a 21-percent improvement in their children's social skills. Teachers saw similarly strong results; in the classroom, there was a 28-percent improvement in both categories. Early literacy skills improved up to three times over their baseline status. Wed, 22 Aug 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070821143557.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070806164549.htm Brain areas that control attention were thinnest in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who carried a particular version of a gene. However, the areas, on the right side of the brain's cortex, normalized during the teen years, coinciding with clinical improvement. While the gene variant increased risk for ADHD, it also predicted better clinical outcomes and higher IQ than two other common versions of the same gene in youth with ADHD. Fri, 10 Aug 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070806164549.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070806164505.htm Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder show a blunted response to the drug methylphenidate (Ritalin), which increases brain dopamine levels, according to a new report. This suggests that dopamine dysfunction may be involved with ADHD symptoms, and may contribute to substance abuse that often occurs simultaneously. Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070806164505.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070801091351.htm Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and whose sleep efficiency is poor, experience significant improvement on some measures of the Continuous Performance Test if they are treated with methylphenidate. Mon, 06 Aug 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070801091351.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070730111646.htm An association between increased white matter volume and functional impairment in children with autism has been recently demonstrated. Findings reveal that in children with autism, increased white matter volume in the motor region of the brain predicts poorer motor skills. Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070730111646.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070720100000.htm Most children treated in a variety of ways for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder showed sustained improvement after three years, in a major follow-up study. Yet increased risk for behavioral problems, including delinquency and substance use, remained higher than normal. Initial advantages of medication management alone or in combination with behavioral treatment over purely behavioral or routine community care waned in the years after 14 months of controlled treatment ended. Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070720100000.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070719114451.htm Use of the attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drug Ritalin by young children may cause long-term changes in the developing brain, suggests a new study of very young rats by a research team at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070719114451.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070627130029.htm Children whose mothers were exposed to second-hand smoke while they were pregnant have more symptoms of serious psychological problems compared to the offspring of women who had no prenatal exposure to smoke, according to a new study. Thu, 28 Jun 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070627130029.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070618124538.htm Parents, doctors, and others have wondered whether common treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) inadvertently predispose adolescents to future drug abuse. The answer may depend on the age at which treatment is started and how long it lasts, say the authors of a new brain-imaging and behavioral study conducted in animals. Tue, 19 Jun 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070618124538.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070608112043.htm While the symptoms of bipolar disorder can be disabling on their own, most patients with the condition also are afflicted with a variety of other psychiatric and physical disorders. Mon, 11 Jun 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070608112043.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070604170705.htm Divorce puts children at higher risk of Ritalin use compared to kids whose parents stay together, says new research by a sociologist, who cautions that this doesn't necessarily mean that divorce is harmful to a child. Tue, 05 Jun 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070604170705.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070529112327.htm Continuing medical education, newsletters and resource guides were only partially successful in changing the way that pediatricians handled behavioral health problems, according to a follow-up study at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. But external factors, especially "black box warnings" from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration "exerted a powerful effect on prescribing practices," said Jane Williams, Ph.D., one of the article's authors. Tue, 29 May 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070529112327.htm