Attention Deficit

When it involves ADHD, psychologist William Pelham is one of the most prolific researchers around. Pelham and his colleague Dr. Brain Wymbs published a longitudinally study (Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Vol 76(5), Oct 2008, 735-744.) that tracked 282 families with and 206 without ADHD children. They found that couples who have a child diagnosed as ADHD are almost twice as likely to divorce or become estranged compared to couples without an ADHD child. A simple dynamic is causal: ADHD children can be stressful for parents thus magnifying conflicts between spouses. ADHD children also have oppositional behaviors which increase stress at home.

Continue reading: Marriage with ADHD Children

A recent study by Dr. Andrea Chronis-Tuscano of the University of Maryland published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry indicates that mothers taking a long-acting form of Ritalin can become better parents.

I’ll be honest, it’s studies like these that turn my stomach. The University of Maryland should be ashamed of producing such hogwash.

Continue reading: Mothering by Ritalin

Research over the past decade has been relatively inconclusive regarding the etiology of ADHD and its genetic links. The January 07, 2009 special issue of American Journal of Medical Genetics (AJMG): Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics presents a comprehensive overview of the latest genetic research of ADHD. In search of the ADHD holy grail, researchers have attempted to identify specific genes that underlie the disorder in the hopes that gene discovery will lead to better treatments for the disorder.

The studies cited in the AJMG indicate that one genetic marker may be associated with ADHD symptoms with the possibility that many genes are involved in ADHD. Each of these genes may play small roles in their overall presentation of ADHD symptoms. The currents studies then are inconclusive and suggest the need for larger studies a) to determine if there are genetic mechanisms underlying ADHD, b) to determine what these mechanisms do if they exist, and c) to determine whether these initial findings can be confirmed.

Continue reading: ADHD and Genetic Research

The idea, of course, is that by making Adderall more expensive, Shire will shine the spotlight on Vyvanse, whose price is rising by a mere 7 percent. Cost-conscious patients will then switch to the cheaper brand, or so the theory goes. Then, firmly entrenched as Vyvanse users, the patients won’t move to generic Adderall when it hits the market.

Continue reading: ADHD is Big Business

Recently, national media have declared war on TV, video games, and various other media. Supported by a study performed by the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”), the news appears gloomy; these various media cause obesity, declining grades, etc. I’ve even read some press that they may be related to childhood onset of diabetes (related to lack of exercise) and ADHD!

Continue reading: The War on Video Games and ADHD

The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a new policy contradicting the American Heart Association’s: stance that children prescribed stimulant medication Schedule II drugs should get a heart screening or EKG prior to taking the drugs. The American Heart Association (AHA) cited the fact that approximately 2.5 million children taking these drugs are at risk of elevated blood pressure and increased heart rate.

Continue reading: Pediatricians on ADHD Drug Heart Risk

While it has been demonstrated that environment plays a role in ADHD symptoms, this is the first attempt to evaluate data regarding middle school stressors and their affect on ADHD. Its conclusions make it evident that our current educational practices fall far short of a success based plan for ADHD students.

Continue reading: Does Middle School Affect ADHD Students?

The worldwide adult ADHD market holds a potential for billions of dollars for the pharmaceutical industry. In a brilliant marketing effort guised as a benevolent informational/screening initiative, Shire pharmaceuticals, the makers of Adderall for ADHD, launched a “screening initiative” in Atlanta. Shire’s press release states that they “…expect up to 20,000 adults to self-screen for ADHD in 13 cities” over 90 days.

Continue reading: Shire Launches Nationwide Adult ADHD Mobile Awareness Tour

Shire currently markets ADHD stimulant medication, Adderall. Adderall’s instant release formula is now available as a generic drug. The report states that Shire´s ADHD drugs will be dominate this market by 2017. The report attributes this, at least in part, to Shire’s launch of Vyvanse´s, a new ADHD drug which has been approved for both children and adults.

Continue reading: Aderall & Vyvanse: Shire Pharmaceutical May Be The ADHD Top Earner By 2017

The Dore program utilizes many different exercises requiring both balance and coordination. Over the course of a year, practicing twice a day, the Dore student should effectively gain control over the cerebellum and cerebrum and greatly reduce dyslexia, ADHD, etc.

Continue reading: Dore Program Fails in Australia

…a study published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, found that ADHD adults worked 22.1 days less than other workers each year. Furthermore, the study found that they were unable to carry out normal work activities an average of 8.4 days per year, 21.7 days of reduced work quantity and 13.6 days of reduced work quality.

Continue reading: Adult ADHD and Job Performance

A new study claims they do.

It’s estimated that approximately 70% to 80% of all children will carry their attention problems into adulthood. According to the new study, this could present problems for their employers. The study, published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, found that ADHD adults worked 22.1 days less than other workers each year. Furthermore, the study found that they were unable to carry out normal work activities an average of 8.4 days per year, 21.7 days of reduced work quantity and 13.6 days of reduced work quality.

Continue reading: Do ADHD Adults Really Lose 3 Weeks of Work Each Year?

Keyes’ research team conducted in-depth psychological interviews of 692 adolescents who had been adopted before age 2. Most of the test subjects averaged 15 years of age. Keyes’ control group consisted of teenagers raised by their biological parents. Keyes found that about 7% of the teenagers raised by biological parents had been diagnosed with ADHD while 14% - 15% of adopted teens were diagnosed with ADHD.

Continue reading: Adopted Children and ADHD

In the wake of the deaths of 20+ children taking ADHD stimulant medication, the American Heart Association (AHA) cautioned this week that children should be screened for heart problems with an electrocardiogram(EKG) before getting drugs like Ritalin to treat hyperactivity and attention-deficit disorder.

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that between 5% and 7% of children have ADHD. They speculate that about 2.5 million American children and 1.5 million adults take medication for ADHD to control behavior and increase focus.

Continue reading: American Heart Association recommends Heart Exam (EKG) Before Getting ADHD Drugs

Since Ritalin abuse first hit the radar screen several years ago, the reliance on prescription stimulants to enhance performance has risen, becoming almost as commonplace as No-Doz, Red Bull and maybe even caffeine. As many as 20 percent of college students have used Ritalin or Adderall to study, write papers and take exams, according to recent surveys focused on individual campuses. A study released this month by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia found that the number of teenagers who admit to abusing prescription medications tripled from 1992 to 2003, while in the general population such abuse had doubled.

Continue reading: Student Use of Stimulant Meds

The American Heart Association’s (AHA) recent recommendation that children be screened for possible heart problems before taking ADHD stimulant medication has spurred great anxiety among parents and professionals. The recommendation was given as a response to a number of deaths due to heart failure associated with ADHD stimulant medication.

Continue reading: Hospital Begins Screening for Heart Conditions in ADHD Children

The September issue of the International Journal of Neuroscience, 2007 published an article entitled, Frequent Mobile Phone Use “Might” Improve Mental Concentration.

The study was performed by researchers from Brainclinics Diagnostics and the Radboud University department of Biological Psychology both from Nijmegen (the Netherlands), the Institute of Psychiatry (London) and the Brain Resource Company (Sydney, Australia).

Continue reading: Cell phone use and attention

For years, parents have complained that certain artificial additives to brightly colored cakes, soft drinks, and candies, had caused their children adverse reactions such as hyperactivity, skin problems, mood volatility, headaches, etc. after consumption.

The Food Standards Agency (“FSA”) recommended ministers call for manufacturers to remove six artificial colors by the end of 2009. The FSA also urged a European Union-wide ban. This reversed the FSA’s decision last month when it dismissed calls for action on the additives.

Continue reading: ADHD and Food Additives: European Food Standards Agency calls for ban on six artificial colors

In most clinical settings, boys are treated for ADHD at least 4 to 1 over girls. Boys, it is thought, tend to present symptoms outwardly more than girls resulting in physical behaviors that are easily noticeable (hyperactivity).

In an article reported in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, February 2008, author of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and his colleagues find that the roles are reversed in adults; females seem to be more impacted than men.

“We found that adult women with ADHD frequently have high levels of emotional symptoms as well as the cognitive problems found in ADHD,” Dr. Frederick W. Reimherr told Reuters Health.

Continue reading: Women with ADHD affected more?

The authors conclude that minority parents, on average, have less educational attainment than non-minority parents. Education is a factor that influences awareness of healthcare. In light of this, minority children with ADHD often do not receive proper medical intervention. The authors cite that, “Educated majority parents, on the other hand, have less tolerance for ADHD symptoms, have greater access to medical services.”

Continue reading: ADHD Labeling and Race

This is rather clever marketing as the research is funded by Shire Pharmaceuticals, the pharmaceutical mega-giant who makes Adderall and the MPH patch. As I’ve stated before, it’s always questionable when a pharmaceutical giant funds a university study on its own medications. In this instance, it will make great marketing if the good Dr. Cox finds that young adults drive better while on meds!

Continue reading: Driving under the influence of ADHD

What interests me greatly is the fact that when the authors of these studies have close ties to the pharmaceutical industry, their data tends to be skewed in favor of medicine. When there isn’t a close tie, we tend to get contradictory data, which is what one would expect.

Continue reading: Dr. Joe Biederman and ADHD

While no long-term studies have been done on the effects the drugs have on children, there is evidence children on the drugs face greater risks of diabetes, hyperglycemia and extreme weight gain, Cohen said.

Continue reading: States sue over costly ADHD drug program

One possible reason for this increase: in 2005 baseball banned the use of “greenies,” amphetamines that help players remained focused and energetic through the rigors of a 162-game season. Amphetamines were once as common as deli spreads in big-league clubhouses—in some, greenies were used to spike the coffee. Players are now seeking doctors’ prescriptions for ADD medications, usually Ritalin and Adderall, apparently to replace the now-illegal energy boosting drugs. (Ritalin is the trade name for the drug methylphenidate, and Adderall is an amphetamine-dextroamphetamine; they are both considered stimulants.)

Continue reading: Drugs, Baseball, and ADHD

As I wrote earlier, the longest study actually performed while following live children was the MTA and its 3-Year Follow-up of the NIMH MTA (multi-modal treatment) recently published in the journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Co-author, Professor William Pelham, of the University at Buffalo, says: “The children had a substantial decrease in their rate of growth so they weren’t growing as much as other kids both in terms of their height and in terms of their weight. And the second was that there were no beneficial effects – none.”

Pelham adds, “In the short run [medication] will help the child behave better, in the long run it won’t. And that information should be made very clear to parents.”
Here’s the most telling observation of the study: “I think that we exaggerated the beneficial impact of medication in the first study. We had thought that children medicated longer would have better outcomes. That didn’t happen to be the case. There’s no indication that medication’s better than nothing in the long run.”

Continue reading: ADHD Medications: Mayo Clinic Study Contradicts MTA Study

“The situation is out of control,” said David Cohen, a professor at Florida International University who has been studying the use of antipsychotics since 1983. While no long-term studies have been done on the effects the drugs have on children, there is evidence children on the drugs face greater risks of diabetes, hyperglycemia and extreme weight gain, Cohen said.

The Daytona Beach Journal says, “According to a study that looked at three years of data, about 40 percent of the antipsychotics prescribed to Florida Medicaid children were given to children diagnosed with ADHD – a use not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.”

Continue reading: States sue over costly ADHD drug program

Data from the study were used to evaluate whether stimulant medication effects physical growth in children. The data collected over three years indicates that both height and weight are decreased in children using stimulant medication.

Co-author, Professor William Pelham, of the University at Buffalo, says: “The children had a substantial decrease in their rate of growth so they weren’t growing as much as other kids both in terms of their height and in terms of their weight. And the second was that there were no beneficial effects – none.”

Continue reading: ADHD Medications and Neurofeedback

A University of British Columbia research study has demonstrated that cognitive training can improve attentional control, impulse control, and other executive functions.

Furthermore, the study’s authors cite that practice of cognitive skills in early development years may decrease incidence of ADHD.
I have insisted that this was possible for nearly a decade.

Continue reading: Cogntive Skills Training and ADHD in Children

In research published in Pediatrics, [December 2007; vol 120: pp 1494-1501], lead author, Almut G. Winterstein, PhD, assistant professor of pharmacy health care administration, University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Jacksonville, found that common stimulants used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) don’t often cause serious heart complications in children. However, she warns that their safety is undetermined for prolonged use.

Continue reading: Medication, ADHD and Heart Complications

Test subjects performed a computer-based task that required them to respond to target visual images with or without distractions. The test subjects were alerted when a target image would contain irrelevant distracters with the target images. Under this circumstance, Klingberg and McNab cited increase blood flow in the basal ganglia and the prefrontal cortex before the visual display appeared. This, they interpreted as the brain preparing to “filter out” the upcoming distracters. They theorize that these preliminary findings may be related to ADHD.

Continue reading: Does the Brain Have an ‘irrelevance filter’ and Is It Related to ADHD?

One strength of Play Attention, explains Morrison, is its ability to target unwanted behaviors. Sitting beside Jack, she noticed that his eyes wandered all over when he first started playing Play Attention. “There’s chair-tipping or, like we’re working with Bobby now, fiddling with things on the desk,” she says. Now, with visible manifestations of behavioral drags on performance appearing on-screen, and with cues from the coach as well, Play Attention users can more easily understand the roots of inattention and begin to rewire their brains. “I know I’m just a mom, and I sound like an infomercial,” says Morrison, “but I’d like to see Play Attention in the school system.”

Continue reading: How much improvement can ADHD students make with brainwave-powered video games?

In his Attention Research Update, September 2007, David Rabiner, Ph.D. Senior Research Scientist, Duke University, entitled his article, How Strong is the Research Support for Neurofeedback Treatment? The report is rather perfunctory and the staid course he’s followed for years. A fresh, candid review must be performed regarding research on multi-modal treatments, neurofeedback, and medication.

Continue reading: Neurofeedback, ADHD and Medication

A study using neurofeedback to control ADHD symptoms was published in the journal Behavioral and Brain Functions (2007 Jul 26;3(1):35, Controlled evaluation of a neurofeedback training of slow cortical potentials in children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ) The researchers compared a group therapy program to a neurofeedback regimen.

Continue reading: Neurofeedback training in ADHD children

Children whose parents divorce are nearly twice as likely to be prescribed Ritalin in the aftermath of the split, a Canadian study reports.

What we need is a deeper understanding of this issue, at the level of the primary care practitioners,” said Dr. Abel Ickowicz.

“Because . . . if we are going too quick to prescribe medication, like Ritalin, like methylphenidate, we may not only be masking the normal process of adaptation to divorce, but we may be contributing to the degree of distress the children of divorce are experiencing.”

Continue reading: Study finds divorce increases Ritalin use in children

Dr. Lawrence H. Diller’s book, The Last Normal Child: Essays on the Intersection of Kids, Culture, and Psychiatric Drugs, is a fascinating and provocative work. As an experienced developmental/behavioral pediatrician, Diller examines the current trend to quickly diagnose attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the perfunctory prescription of stimulant drugs even when there is scarce evidence regarding academic improvement, social improvement, or long-term efficacy.

Diller’s perspective is quite evenly balanced; he prescribes stimulant medication for ADHD when indicated, but only as part of thorough assessment and comprehensive management program.

It is clear that Diller believes that ADHD is being over diagnosed. He states that over the last 15 years brand name stimulant production has increased by an astounding 1700% and generic stimulants by more than 3000%!

Continue reading: The Last Normal Child and ADHD

As I mentioned previously, many factors were involved in the cultural shift that altered our perception about children like Dennis the Menace. The cultural shift has made the United States the leading consumer of Ritalin. As a matter of fact, according to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the US now consumes about 90% of the world’s Ritalin supply!

Continue reading: The Evolution of ADHD, Education, and Drugs in America - Part 5

So, now children in the Henry Ford production line model of education, tempered by John Dewey’s experiential, nurturing educational philosophy, were exposed to changes to curriculum based on society’s fear of satellites. Strangely enough, even with the crazy dynamics of the times, children with attention problems existed; however, they were viewed quite differently than today’s ADHD children and actually survived and thrived quite well. Nurturing was expected and practiced at school, boundaries were set and maintained; if you got in trouble at school, you were likely to be in twice as much trouble when you got home. Furthermore, without the demands of incredibly stringent testing in all grades, ADHD children could were not exposed to the demands currently place on them.

Continue reading: The Evolution of ADHD, Education, and Drugs in America - Part 4

Dennis the Menace began appearing as a comic strip character in the early 1950s. While his physical appearance changed slightly in the 1960s and 1970s, he was still considered a lovable child when I began my teaching career in the mid 1980s. We continued to laugh at his innocent acts of menace toward his family and friends without mention of medication or ADHD.

Continue reading: The Evolution of ADHD, Education, and Drugs in America - Part 3

The great industrialist and inventor, Henry Ford founded his company on precision and efficiency in the early 1900s. To produce cars for the masses, he would need a method of assembly that could quickly assemble mass produced parts into a complete automobile. His assembly line model rapidly changed the world. Using the assembly/production line model, mass assembly of products became the norm. This in turn produced higher volumes of products available to the masses. Mass production allowed manufacturers to sell products for cheaper prices as well. All of this was based on efficiency. Educationalists were impressed.

Continue reading: The Evolution of ADHD, Education, and Drugs in America - Part 2

Anyone remember Dennis the Menace? As a child, I watched Jay North portray that mischievous blond-headed boy who always got into trouble and annoyed his grumpy neighbor. Dennis was loved back then.

Dennis is the kid everyone seems to have on his street even now. He’s intelligent and uses it to get into everything. Even when he tries to help others out, he still finds trouble. He often acts out without thinking about consequences.

Continue reading: The Evolution of ADHD, Education, and Drugs in America - Part 1

Wasowicz questions the growing popularity of drug treatments as an almost reflexive action by healthcare providers. She indicates that current research shows a steady rise in the use of prescription drugs by children and adolescents, particularly among girls.

Continue reading: Questioning the growing popularity of drug treatments

Dr. Vance believes he has conclusive evidence that key areas of the brain do not develop as quickly in children with ADHD. These areas, he posits, are linked to a child’s understanding of time and space as well as the ability to use working memory.

“So their ability to read other people’s body language, to pick up on the nuances of what their peer group are up to, would clearly be affected by the sort of developmental delays in brain development that we’ve identified,” he said.

Continue reading: ADHD and Genetics

Here’s some true insight: Perry has experimented on about 100 subjects so far and has observed that people with ADHD move around the room more actively than ADHD people.

No kidding. We needed a study for that information.

Continue reading: Overhead camera to detect mental illness

It is a myth that poor parenting causes ADHD. This is a still a sore spot for many parents of non-ADHD children.

Continue reading: Does poor parenting cause ADHD?

(Part 2 of 2) …a study published recently in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics largely addresses this concern, and provides new evidence on the promising nature of this treatment approach (Sinn, N., & Bryan, J. [2007]. Effect of supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids and micronutrients on learning and behavior problems associated with child ADHD. JDBP, 28, 82-92.].

Continue reading: Study shows Fatty Acids may be helpful for ADHD- Part 2

(Part 1 of 2) Two studies are noted here, one in the UK and one in Australia. Both studies show promising data on HUFAs and ADHD.

Continue reading: Study shows Fatty Acids may be helpful for ADHD - Part 1

“ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is probably one of the most over-diagnosed disorders of our time,” Christensen said. “The reason for that, I think, is that we really don’t know very much about the biological basis of this syndrome. There’s a lot of research on it, but there’s still a lot of disagreement about what the root cause is, and about whether drugs like Ritalin that are being prescribed to children as young as 2 years old are doing any good, and if we have any business exposing our children to drugs at such a very early age,” he added.

Continue reading: Can we map attention, memory and language links in the human brain?

Researchers Sharon A. Murphy, MD, and Douglas Woodruff, MD, psychiatrists in private practice in Baltimore, Maryland presented their findings at the 160th annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Their work is based a particular technique called cell membrane potential. They propose that use of this technique may help medical professionals clearly identify attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, and possibly major depressive disorder.

Continue reading: Can ADHD be identified in blood?

We think of people who are impulsive as acting too quickly. Kids with ADHD are actually

slower on the ‘go’ task than the control kids. It’s not that they go too quickly; they stop too slowly.”

Continue reading: ADHD and Impulse Control

I sat down with veteran actor, Max Gail a short time ago to discuss Max’s attention problems and how they relate to his family and acting career.

Q: Do people still recognize you from Barney Miller?

Continue reading: Max Gail and ADHD

According to a study published in the January 2007 issue of the American Psychological Association’s journal, Developmental Psychology, a mother’s depression predicts whether children with ADHD will develop behavioral problems.

Psychology professor Andrea Chronis, director of the University of Maryland ADHD Program and lead author on the paper said, “In the real world, this could have important implications, because research has suggested that children with both ADHD and conduct problems are at the greatest risk of becoming chronic criminal offenders.”

Continue reading: For ADHD Children, Mother’s Depression, Early Parenting Predict Conduct Problems

Two new studies confirm that ADHD children are more at-risk for alcohol and substance abuse as they grow older. Parental alcoholism and stressful family environments are additional risks. Results of the two studies were published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research [April 2007]

Continue reading: ADHD and Alcohol Abuse

The researchers stated that one in twenty-five children is taking medication for ADHD in the US. However, their research also suggests that the diagnosis of ADHD and subsequent use of medications to control it is now spreading worldwide.

Continue reading: The Global Market For ADHD Medications

I’ve briefly mentioned research studies in the past that find ADHD children have decreased brain volumes (essentially smaller brains) than their peers. Recently, another of these studies was published in the American Journal of Psychiatry (April 2007). Using MRI, the study followed 36 children over two years. How research like this gets published is beyond speculation, but in the publish or perish world of academia, it’s fairly standard trash.The journal reports that the researchers (a group of MDs and PhDs) “…compared the volumes of each lobe of the cerebellar hemispheres and vermis in children with ADHD and comparison subjects and used a new regional cerebellar volume measurement to characterize the developmental trajectory of these differences.”

Just an anatomical note, the cerebellar …

Continue reading: Brain Volume and ADHD

As I’ve discussed in previous blogs, ADHD children and adults have difficulty recognizing social cues or regulating impulse control and therefore frequently cannot maintain friendships or adapt well socially.

A recent study published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, (48, 50-67) examines the other side of this issue; it examines the attitudes of adults toward persons with depression or AD/HD.

Continue reading: ADHD and Social Distancing

New research shows it takes one part of the brain to start concentrating and another to be distracted. This discovery could help scientists develop better treatments for attention deficit disorder.

Continue reading: Brain Study May Shed Light on Attention Disorders

“NASA has proven that attention can be improved through feedback training. Play Attention is actually an enhancement to their technology which is successfully impacting the lives of children and adults worldwide,” says Peter Freer, Play Attention Founder and CEO.

Continue reading: Technology Showing Promise in Treating Attention and Behavioral Problems in Children & Adults

At a time when millions of children and adults are taking drugs for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, the most comprehensive scientific analysis of the drugs to date has found little evidence that they are safe, that one drug is more effective than another or that they help school performance.

The 731-page report was done by the Drug Effectiveness Review Project, based at Oregon State University. The group analyzed 2,287 studies – virtually every investigation ever done on ADHD drugs anywhere in the world – to reach its conclusions.

Continue reading: Are ADHD drugs safe? Report finds little proof

Some journals are trying themselves to help readers discover marketing messages slipped in amid the scientific data. Last year BMJ, a British journal, published a piece called “Users’ guide to detecting misleading claims in clinical research reports,” which came with a picture of a reader dumping salt on a medical journal. One piece of advice: Beware when the authors break out one subgroup of patients and claim benefits from the treatment that weren’t evident in the whole group.

Continue reading: Insurers Question Studies of ADHD Drugs

Presently, some researchers and experts recognize that there is a correlation between Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Some believe that ADHD is closely related to Asperger’s Syndrome. Autism Spectrum Disorders and ADHD are developmental disorders that affect the areas of social skills, behavior, and communication.
When combined with special strategies as well as transfer and generalization techniques, Play Attention has produced remarkable results for students with Autism and AD/HD. The core Play Attention system allows the teacher to modify and adjust it curriculum to accommodate the special needs of these children.

Continue reading: An Innovative Technology for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about three percent of American school children take stimulants like Ritalin regularly. However current research suggests a surprising new strategy for treating this disorder: video games linked to brain-wave biofeedback that can help kids with ADHD train their minds to tune in and settle down.

Continue reading: Can custom-made video games help children with attention deficit disorder?

As many as three million children in the United States are being treated for Attention Deficit Disorder. And they’re not the only ones. 4.4 percent of the adult population have A.D.D. or a related disorder, making it the second most common psychological problem in adults after depression. VOA’s Paige Kollock reports on a new ‘game’ that might be able to help them.

Educators say the game takes between eight and 12 months to become permanently effective. From that point on, they say, users can fall back on the skill for the rest of their lives.

Continue reading: New Video Game Shows Promise In Treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD)

Can you say clueless? Stafford interviews Dr. William Dodson, MD who spoke to about 50 Hallmark Cards employees. His recommendation? If you want an employee who performs best on deadline, hire someone who has trouble staying on task. Dodson apparently specializes in treating with AD/HD. He said that adults with the neuropsychiatric condition generally respond well to urgency and fast pace. This seems true, meeting deadlines? That’s one of the greatest problems for adult AD/HD people.

Continue reading: Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Do Well on Deadline and Love a Challenge?

Every student has a right to an IEP.

It simply defines what goals and objectives will be used over the student’s academic year to achieve success. If some accommodations like computer software, lengthened test time, etc. need to be implemented, then do it. It is mandated and paid for by the federal government under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). It does require extra effort and perhaps even extra staff to write and implement the IEP.

Continue reading: IEP: An ADHD ADD Student Right

ADHD likely affects 3% to 7% of the entire child population in the US. However, girls are frequently overlooked because they often do not display hyperactive symptoms.

When teaching at the elementary level, I found this particularly true. Girls with ADHD often were simply daydreamers with poor time management skills. While some did display the outward social and behavioral problems that their male peers did, it was not very frequent.

HealthNewsDigest.com is published by the American Psychological Association. I’ve cited bits of this report and am alarmed by its look and feel. It reads like an endorsement and advertisement for Adderall XR.

Continue reading: Girls With ADHD and ADD Are Often Overlooked

Clearly, there is no current research (2005) that has determined that ADHD is genetic either partially or entirely. While empirical data suggest that a genetic link exists, research is still sparse as scientists primarily focus on childhood onset of the disorder with little research on adult AD/HD.Andrea Chronis of the University of Maryland  has focused on AD/HD mothers and their performance as parents. In her study of 70 families with elementary-school-age children she found that:Mothers of ADHD children are 24 times as likely as the average woman to have it Fathers of ADHD children are 5 times higher than average to have it The mothers often weren’t very involved with their children The mothers had few skills to cope with …

Continue reading: Genetics and ADHD ADD

Dr. Fischer indicated that many children maintain their disorder into adulthood. The article is not clear whether this data was relevant to treated or untreated ADHD. However, clinical data suggests that perhaps 60% of ADHD children will carry their disorder into adulthood. This may be a conservative estimate.

While the data are compelling, the study is too small to conclude that ADHD alone causes these ill effects.

Continue reading: Adult ADD: Many Children Maintain their Disorder into Adulthood

The Daily Telegraph reports of a highly controversial study indicating that parents of autistic children tend to be more highly educated than parents of children with other mental problems.

Seven percent of US children are suspected of having ADHD while the British study indicates on two per cent had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Continue reading: Autism and Parents Education

Bloomberg reports Shire Says Canada Allows Sale of Adderall XR Again after appealing Health Canada’s decision to pull Adderall XR from Canadian shelves.

Health Canada’s decision was based on Adderall XR’s link to 20 deaths.

Continue reading: ADHD ADD Drug Adderall XR Back on the Market in Canada

The public’s current perception is that using these medications will indeed ‘fix’ their broken child. Unfortunately, and according to the National Institutes of Health, more than medication is needed to address the full needs of AD/HD children. So, as long as pharmaceutical companies keep marketing in a manner which encourages the public’s ‘fix’ perception, we’ll continue to have kids who historically remove themselves from medication whenever they can (usually upon emancipation) and carry their AD/HD into adulthood with no compensatory skills.

Continue reading: New ADHD Drug to Fix Your Child

Brice Mellen is super proficient in games such as Mortal Kombat and others. The only difference between Brice and his peers is that Brice is blind. The following excerpt is from the article and is an exceptional example of neuroplasticity or Brice’s ability (his brain’s ability) to compensate for his loss of sight.

Continue reading: Video Games and Brain Development

The following press release makes it clear why so much attention is paid to prescribing medication to the ADHD market: MONEY. It’s a $2.6 BILLION market with annual compound growth of 36.7% since 2002.

Continue reading: Strattera and ADHD - “Show me the money…”

Through computerized testing, the researchers essentially confirmed AND disputed work theorized by computer scientist, Marvin Minsky, in his book, The Society of Mind.Once again, the mind seems to have a difficult time describing its own activities.

Continue reading: Mental Processing is Continuous, Not Like a Computer

The effectiveness of ADDERALL XR for long-term use has not been systematically evaluated in controlled trials. As with other psychostimulants indicated for ADHD, there is a potential for exacerbating motor and phonic tics and Tourette’s syndrome.

Continue reading: Children: Adderall and Safety

The article focuses on Dr. Torkel Klingberg of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden who trained around 40 kids with ADHD with a software program that addressed “working memory.” After more than 20 days of training parents reported that their children had greatly improved attention and lessened hyperactivity.

Continue reading: Training the Brain: Cognitive Therapy As An Alternative To ADHD Drugs.

The government is planning to strengthen warnings about possible psychiatric side effects from Concerta and related treatments for attention deficit hyperactivity, and is probing whether other ADHD drugs need updating, too.

Continue reading: A Probe into the Side Effects of ADHD Drugs

By advancing our understanding of the connection between mind, brain and behavior, this research may help in the design of complex devices – such as airliner cockpits – and may help in the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders such as ADHD or schizophrenia.”

Continue reading: Multitasking vs Task Switching Research

Some people who need medication aren’t getting it and some who don’t need it are. Research says the people who use medicines the most to treat ADHD are wealthier and have better medical plans from their HMOs.

Continue reading: ADHD Drug Treatment

Ever wonder why so much hoopla surrounds ADHD? The media know it’s a top of mind issue for parents. However, pharmaceutical makers also know where their bread is buttered. The following article reflects the vast sums of money involved in the business of ADHD medications.         Press Release Source: Research and Markets Ltd. Research and Markets: Current Global ADHD Market Is Worth $2.7Bn and is Expected to Reach $3.4Bn by 2015Tuesday June 14, 10:15 am ET DUBLIN, Ireland–(BUSINESS WIRE)–June 14, 2005–Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c19199) has announced the addition of Pipeline Insight: ADHD - Shire Driving Diversity in ADHD to their offering. The current ADHD market has long been saturated with traditional methylphenidate and amphetamine based drugs, with the only innovations being …

Continue reading: Pharmaceutical Makers : Follow the Money

The FDA has taken an interest in the University of Texas’ preliminary research regarding Ritalin and cancer. While the research is alarming, it is far too premature to be conclusive

Continue reading: Ritalin and Cancer

The amount of TV watching certainly has a link with the reduced amount of time reading or doing homework,” he said. “The key is the amount of control parents have in limiting the amount of access. Get the TV out of the bedroom; be aware of what is being watched; limit the amount of TV watching.”

Continue reading: Too much TV Lowers Tests Scores

As I wrote about previously, Robert Jergen, an ADHD adult, wrote a book about his ability to regulate his ADHD. It seems that there is a trend to identify oneself with a particular ailment or disorder to sell books.

Continue reading: Dubious Disorders

..an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) that should be given to ALL students thus teaching to their strengths and strengthening their weaknesses. While advocating new teaching methods for ADHD students sells books, it is only a small portion of this nation’s massive education problem.

Continue reading: ADHD: An IEP (Individualized Education Plan) for ALL Students

When so much negative publicity surrounds stimulant medication and psychotropic drugs, who can you believe? Well, according to their press release, trust the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology because it “Is The Expert Source on ADHD and the Use of Ritalin in Children.”
So, while they do have their place, it’s important to use the Internet as a place to get the latest data and research as well as warnings – including those posted by the FDA about stimulant medications.

Continue reading: Ritalin: Do your research!

The same video game that endlessly distracts kids from schoolwork may improve concentration and memory, according to a study on a small group of children with attention deficit disorder. Researchers found that playing Dance Dance Revolution, the arcade hit from Japan where dancers try to match the steps of a gyrating computer animation, led to an intriguing boost in reading comprehension.

Continue reading: Video Games Improve Reading Scores for Children with ADHD

“Psychiatrists are telling parents, whose children may be displaying poor behaviour, that their child has so-called ADHD due to a “chemical imbalance” in the brain. A parent would be prudent to ask the psychiatrist for evidence to support the claim of a “chemical imbalance". If they did ask however, they’d find that the evidence would not be forthcoming – as it doesn’t exist.”

Continue reading: ADHD Diagnosis Caution: No Test Exists to Support Chemical Imbalance Claim

The BBC reports that video games can have positive benefits, just not where one would expect them. Note, too, in the following report, no decision was made regarding chronic use and its effects.Computer games ‘do have benefits’ Computer games can aid children’s health and do not deserve a wholly negative reputation, an expert says.Mark Griffiths, professor of gambling studies at Nottingham Trent University, says they can be a distraction for children undergoing painful treatment.Writing in the British Medical Journal, he added that games can also help children with attention deficit disorders gain social skills.But he said violent games, like violent films, might fuel aggression in some.You can’t tar all games with the same brush Professor Mark Griffiths,Nottingham Trent UniversityHowever, Professor …

Continue reading: Computer Video Games Do Have Benefits

He became hyper-productive. Jergen kept a log outlining when and where he got the most work done. Then, he designed a work environment that would push out distractions and allow him to remain focused.

Continue reading: Turning Adult ADHD Around

The following story is from the Scotsman.com. Pay particular attention to the section where ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome, and dyspraxia are described; they are notably different than our perceptions in the States.

Continue reading: He Is Still a Typical Teenager

We are becoming a nation of attention deficit disorder sufferers, says Dr. John Ratey, a professor at Harvard Medical School and the author of “Delivered from Distraction.”

Continue reading: Are We a Nation of ‘Psuedo-ADD’ Sufferers?

Play Attention was featured on the ABC News Show - Good Morning America on June 20,2005.

Continue reading: Good Morning America Features Play Attention

“Neurons that fire together wire together” means that the more we repeat the same actions and thoughts–from practicing a tennis serve to memorizing multiplication tables–the more we encourage the formation of certain connections and the more fixed the neural circuits in the brain for that activity become.

Continue reading: John Ratey: “Train Your Brain”

Just as NASA astronauts and pilots train to increase attention, Play Attention literally teaches the user to increase concentration, complete tasks, visual tracking, short-term memory, and to filer out distractions – all the skills necessary to be successful in the classroom. The learner directly observes his mind’s ability to command the computer screen in real-time.

Continue reading: Using NASA Technology to Increase Attention and Cognitive Function

The bottom line is: The brain can be retrained to overcome learning disabilities, cognitive impairments, ADHD, etc. What we now know is that this is done over a vast network in the brain that encompasses many other minor and major networks. You could think of retraining as the confluence of several telephone companies coming together to in order to overcome a limitation. Each has its own network and substructure but can become bigger and stronger (overcoming their respective limitations) by merging with the other network (think AT&T and Cingular). In the brain, this is done over a wide area of networks – not locally in distinct surface areas as superficial brain imaging might indicate.

Continue reading: ADHD: Retrain the Brain

…researchers can find numerous parts of the ADHD brain that seem dysfunctional. A major flaw in virtually all of this research is that they use very small groups that cannot depict the vast spectrum brain variability among the human species. This published research confuses many people as it seems the brains of those with ADHD are smaller, have damage in the basal ganglia, putamen, frontal lobes, cerebellum, and brain stem. This amounts to little more than neophrenology. Publication of this neophrenology allows media to portray ADHD individuals as irreparably brain damaged which is both harmful and flagrantly untrue.

Continue reading: Is the ADHD Brain Damaged?

There are more demands on our attention and less training for us to stop and take it all in. This is of particular interest when it comes to children who have grown up in the fast lane where Web pages that take more than five seconds to load are considered lame. Is the speed and ease compromising their attention spans? Their perspective? Their humanity? Even their work ethic? Or are we just threatened that they will lap us old fogies?

Little is understood about the Information Age’s effect on this generation, but it is a burgeoning area of research.

Continue reading: Children and Cognitive Overload

In a small but startling preliminary new study, Texas researchers have found that after just three months, every one of a dozen children treated for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with the drug methylphenidate experienced a threefold increase in levels of chromosome abnormalities-occurrences associated with increased risks of cancer and other adverse health effects.

Continue reading: Drug Updates: ADHD Drug Methylphenidate Linked to Chromosomal Changes

The nonprofit group Public Citizen petitioned the FDA yesterday to remove Cylert – including all generic versions of the drug – citing an increased risk of serious liver problems and death from liver failure.

Continue reading: Drug Updates: ADHD Drug Cylert Discontinued

Children that are exposed to 8 and a half hours of TV, video games, computers and other media a day — often at once — may be losing the ability to concentrate.

Continue reading: Children Today: Multi-tasking or Multi-distracted?

An estimated 8 million adult Americans struggle with the inattention disorders like attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to researchers from Harvard Medical School. But, they say, only 20 percent realize it.

Continue reading: Multitasking, ADD and the Workplace

Arif Najib, MD, with the University of Tübingen Medical Center in Tübingen, Germany used MRI scans to view brain changes of women after ending a romantic relationship. Najib’s findings indicate that grief produces considerable changes in the MRIs. His study appears in the latest issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Najib thinks that depression may cause the brain to malfunction – especially the areas of normal circuitry for handling sadness, separation, and grief.

Continue reading: Grief Changes Brain Chemistry In Women

The Washington Post reports today that health plans that limit the cost of ADHD drugs has been increasing. In an effort to save money, many health plans encourage physicians and parents to select drugs that are ‘preferred’ by the health plan.

Continue reading: The Cost of ADHD Drugs Limits Use

“The findings from this study suggest problems that arise from attention
difficulties are not limited to difficulty with concentration and sitting still,
but are related to how children approach challenging or new situations,” said
Chang. “Clearly, it is the case that much more needs to be understood about the
nature and implications of having an attention problem.”

Continue reading: Preschoolers’ motivation, temperament relate to attention skills, study finds

Neurofeedback is a specific type of biofeedback that makes brainwaves perceptible through the use of sensors attached to the head. Such children tend to become more social, more effective at school work, and they perform more adroitly on IQ and other tests. One can think of this process as switching radio stations at will. Neurofeedback students learn to switch from inattentive (daydreaming) states to focused states at will.

Continue reading: ADHD: Biofeedback and Neurofeedback: An Introduction

“Brain research is beginning to produce concrete evidence for something that Buddhist practitioners of meditation have maintained for centuries: Mental discipline and meditative practice can change the workings of the brain and allow people to achieve different levels of awareness.

Continue reading: Re-wiring Your Brain, Meditation & ADHD, A Self-service Guide

Play Attention is a comprehensive teaching/learning system developed by a teacher for students struggling with attention problems and the cognitive deficits typically associated with focusing difficulties. Play Attention’s core teaching method is derived from neurofeedback.

Continue reading: Neurofeedback as a Teaching Tool

Ten years ago, PBS ran the documentary- ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER- A DUBIOUS DIAGNOSIS?. The case was made that the epidemic of Attention Deficit Disorder affecting mostly white, middle class boys is to a large extent man-made, one result of a long-term, unpublicized financial relationship between the company that makes the most widely known A.D.D. medication and the nation’s largest “A.D.D. Support Group.”

Continue reading: Disorder? A Dubious Diagnosis

The question is whether the Ritalin Revolution will sap tomorrow’s work force of some of its potential genius. What will be the repercussions in corporations, comedy clubs, and research labs?

Continue reading: What If Einstein Had Taken Ritalin?

The effectiveness of ADDERALL XR for long-term use, i.e., for more than 3 weeks in children and 4-weeks in adults, has not been systematically evaluated in controlled trials.

Continue reading: Adderall: Long Term Use?

Shire’s best-selling drug was withdrawn from sale in Canada amid reports linking it to 20 sudden deaths. The US FDA has also issued a Public Health Advisory.

Continue reading: Adderall: Canadian Regulators Order ADD Drug Withdrawn

Has brain scanning become the new phrenology? It’s an interesting prospect that may be clarified by an historical perspective.

Continue reading: The Controversy Over Brain Imaging – Introduction

Educators have made significant progress over the last few years training autistic children. One of the most difficult aspects of training is teaching cause and effect relationships.

Continue reading: Autism and Play Attention

“I’m not a cynic, but I’m a skeptic until things are proven pretty thoroughly,” Hinshaw said.

Continue reading: Stephen Hinshaw

Diagnoses labeling children as AD/HD are wrong up to 75% of the time.

Continue reading: Three-quarters of ADHD diagnoses wrong

I synthesized my experience in education, computer education, and psychology to devise a system to optimize human potential. However, at the time I began this journey, my university training was of little help.

Continue reading: Boston Globe: Playing their Way to Improved Concentration

It is important to realize that many AD/HD adults have successful careers. Edison, Mozart, and even Einstein may have had AD/HD. Success seems to be linked to employing good coping strategies once you’ve discovered your strengths and know your weaknesses. Once you become aware of your specific set of challenges, it will become easier for you to plan a strategy. Therefore, consider your unique characteristics as you design your strategies. Below is a checklist describing many of the symptoms typically associated with AD/HD. Strategies for coping are listed below each symptom.

Continue reading: Adult ADHD Life Strategies

Research at the Salk Institute found that patients as mature as 72 were actually creating new brain cells. The formation of new brain cells is termed neurogenesis. Furthermore, the Salk Institute’s research revealed that mice that were stimulated environmentally – for instance made to run – produced more new cells than did their counterparts who were sedentary.

Continue reading: Neurogenesis: Mechanisms of Change

Inability to stay focused on a task is a hallmark of the aging brain’s decline. Bilingual people also seemed more readily able to filter out distraction or irrelevant data. This suggests that the function, capacity, or neural network involved in bilingual language processing may be the same processing needed to stay attentive. The study appears in the June, 2004 issue of the journal Psychology and Aging.

Continue reading: Stimulation and Continued Brain Development

Therefore, a new conceptualization of the basic nature and etiology of ADHD behaviors is necessary in which current known research about human potential and learning are incorporated to produce a scientific, systematic approach to teach sustained attention and improve subordinate deficits in related cognitive skills like short-term memory.

Continue reading: ADHD: The problem is simply diffused attention

If we take a cognitive view, from a purely external viewpoint, we can examine how we learn. Learning involves the teacher, the learner, the learning process, and the cognitive and behavioral changes associated with learning.

Continue reading: How does poor attention actually affect the learning process?

In the landscape of spring there is neither better nor worse.The flowering branches grow; some short, some long.– Zen sayingNo Known Biological Marker For ADHDDr. Russell Barkley essentially has created an industry surrounding his name and ADHD. While saying little that’s new to the field, he regurgitates the repetitive paradigm that essentially places AD/HD children and adults into the minimal brain dysfunction category, i.e., ADHD people are brain damaged. He pathologizes ADHD even though no known biological marker exists; no certain neuropathology or brain abnormality exists that definitively establishes the presence or absence of the disorder. The NIH Consensus Statement - Diagnosis and Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, states: "Although research has suggested a central nervous system basis for …

Continue reading: ADHD: Difference or Disability?

Psychologists and research scientists have long known that executive functions can be improved through training. But the true question must be put: why do we consider ADHD a disorder that cannot be improved? Diffused attention can be improved thus improving subordinate deficits. Society will only become aware of this through a paradigm shift.

Continue reading: ADHD: An Interest and Motivation Deficit?

Not surprisingly, Dr. Barkley and Lilly think this is too long as children could be started on medication and behavior modification much sooner. While one must agree that a proper, quick diagnosis should be available to all children and adults, sponsorship of the survey is hardly altruistic of Lilly who makes millions of dol

Continue reading: ADHD Study: Faster Diagnosis Urged

Neuroscientists now generally agree that the brain is always changing and reorganizing (neuroplasticity). If mitigation of ADHD symptoms can be induced by external challenges, we may very well have to rethink its etiology or concede that it a normal characteristic on the spectrum of human traits which can be dealt with, at least in part, by external challenges.

Continue reading: ADHD, Brain Growth and Development

The mystery of AD/HD begins because the label, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, is a misnomer of sorts. People with the disorder do not have a deficit of attention, but they do have diffused attention; attention that is fleeting and can be sustained only for short periods before moving to another stimulus.

Continue reading: What’s the mystery behind ADHD?