Brain Exercises for ADHD

Amnon Gimpel, M.D., has released a book titled Brain Exercises to Cure ADHD. Dr. Gimpel draws from over 30 years of academic and clinical experience in his book, which is meant to be a supplement to, and not a substitute for, medication.

"Dr. Gimpel explains that the child, adolescent or young adult (even some adults) is actually suffering from brain delays in some portions of the cortex, which may be treated with cognitive therapy and 'Brain Exercise Therapy.'"

Dr. Gimpel's book is not written as a textbook, but rather as a guide for parents and sufferers of ADHD to learn and implement his brain exercise therapy. Source: Jewish Press

Physical exercise, like the kind kids with ADHD get at summer camp, can also be a good form of treatment. Talisman Camps offers programs for kids with ADHD, ADD, and learning differences.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Linked to Differences in Brain Structure

Researchers at Cambridge University found that the brains of people who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have abnormalities similar to healthy family members, indicating that the disorder may be genetic.

OCD is a disorder characterized by recurrent thoughts and ritualistic behaviors such as hand-washing, lining possessions up in a certain order, checking to see if doors are locked, etc.

Dr. Lara Menzies from the Brain Mapping Unit at Cambridge and others used magnetic resonance imagining (MRIs) to examine the brains of 31 people with OCD and 31 healthy close relatives such as siblings, and 31 others in a control. The OCD group and their family members had less gray matter in the area of their brains associated with suppressing responses compared to the control group.

OCD runs in families, and this new research may contribute to the theory that it is a genetic disorder.

Boarding schools for OCD can be found at the BoaridngSchoolsInfo directory.

Gene Variant Linked to ADHD

Scientists at the National Institute of Health have conducted a study which found a genetic link to ADHD and promises improvement over time. The gene, called DRD4, seems to increase the risk for ADHD in younger children by causing brain areas that control attention to be thinner. However, as the children get older, this gene appears to be associated with a normal thickening of the same areas of the brain.

"Although this particular gene version 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."

The DRD4 gene appears to account for about 30 percent of the genetic risk for ADHD. Read more at MedicalNewsToday.com.

Kids diagnosed with a non verbal learning disorder can get the best education at a school designed just for them. Learn more about Cedars Academy.

Card Game Sheds Light on ADHD

A research team at a University in Adelaide, Australia recently studied the brain activity of children with ADHD to try and determine why they have such difficulty remembering. While playing a card game called "Snap" patients with ADHD, who were off their medication, had to recognize when two of the same cards appeared in a row.

"...but we found that children diagnosed with ADHD had incredible difficulty detecting doubles at all, news.com.au quoted lead researcher, PhD student Hannah Keage, as saying. 'They just weren't able to select that information about the cards properly and hold it online in their head,' she added."

Other tests showed that children were unable to recognize distractions as distractions. Read more at News.sawf.org.

Some of the best boarding schools for kids with ADHD can be found at the BoardingSchoolsInfo.com directory. Check out the list of Special Needs Boarding Schools to find the best school for your child.